The cost of living in America : a political history of economic statistics, 1880-2000

Since the late nineteenth century, the “cost of living” has been a prominent part of debates about American political economy. By the early twentieth century, that prominence had taken a quantitative turn, as businessmen, unions, economists, and politicians all turned to cost-of-living statistics in their struggle to control and reshape the American economy. Today, the continuing power of these statistics is exemplified by the U.S Consumer Price Index, whose fluctuations have enormous consequences for economic policy and the federal budget (including the allocation of hundreds of billions of dollars annually through cost-of-living escalator clauses in programs such as Social Security). In this book, Stapleford interweaves economic theory with political history to create a novel account of the quantitative knowledge that underpins much of American political economy. Demonstrating that statistical calculations inevitably require political judgments, he reveals what choices were made in constructing and using cost-of-living statistics and why those choices matter both for our understanding of American history and for contemporary political and economic life. xviii, 421 p. : 23 cm Includes bibliographical references and index Pt. I. Statistics and labor reform, 1880-1930: centralization and its discontents. Before there were indexes: the "Labor Question" and labor statistics, 1880-1910 ; The cost of living in peace and war: statistics and economic management, 1910-1918 ; Searching for normalcy: cost-of-living statistics and industrial relations in the 1920s -- Pt. II. Rationalizing the democratic political order, 1930-1960: cost-of-living statistics in the heart of the New Deal. The nature of revolution: the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the New Deal ; Tracking an elusive home-front "enemy": price indexes and wage adjustment ; Statistics from the bottom up: union research on the cost of living ; Bounded conflict: collective bargaining and the Consumer Price Index in the Cold War -- Pt. III. The CPI and the federal government, 1960-2000: a "welfare" index for the welfare state. Accounting for growth: macroeconomic analysis and the transformation of price index theory ; From workers to the welfare state: the Consumer Price Index and the rise of indexation -- Epilogue: governance and economic statistics Pt. I. Statistics And Labor Reform, 1880-1930: Centralization And Its Discontents. Before There Were Indexes: The Labor Question And Labor Statistics, 1880-1910 ; The Cost Of Living In Peace And War: Statistics And Economic Management, 1910-1918 ; Searching For Normalcy: Cost-of-living Statistics And Industrial Relations In The 1920s -- Pt. Ii. Rationalizing The Democratic Political Order, 1930-1960: Cost-of-living Statistics In The Heart Of The New Deal. The Nature Of Revolution: The Bureau Of Labor Statistics In The New Deal ; Tracking An Elusive Home-front Enemy: Price Indexes And Wage Adjustment ; Statistics From The Bottom Up: Union Research On The Cost Of Living ; Bounded Conflict: Collective Bargaining And The Consumer Price Index In The Cold War -- Pt. Iii. The Cpi And The Federal Government, 1960-2000: A Welfare Index For The Welfare State. Accounting For Growth: Macroeconomic Analysis And The Transformation Of Price Index Theory ; From Workers To The Welfare State: The Consumer Price Index And The Rise Of Indexation -- Epilogue: Governance And Economic Statistics. Thomas A. Stapleford. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. In this book, Stapleford interweaves economic theory with political history to create a novel account of the quantitative knowledge that underpins much of American political economy. Demonstrating that statistical calculations inevitably require political judgments, he reveals what choices were made in constructing and using cost-of-living statistics and why those choices matter both for our understanding of American history and for contemporary political and economic life. --From publisher description https://archive.org/details/costoflivinginam0000stap Cost and standard of living -- United States -- History