Would Trump Try to Manipulate Economic Data Before the Election?
Dean Baker considers whether Trump’s group of supporters would be able to manipulate the bureacracies of the federal government to alter the economic outlook of the nation in a more expansive way than Larry Kudlow and others, but the data itself ( if that is even needed?) He says not likely, but how creative would one need to be?
Dean Baker wonders out loud…
Would Trump Try to Manipulate Economic Data Before the Election?
I talked to a reporter last week who wanted to know if Donald Trump could manipulate economic data for political advantage. For example, could Trump make the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show a lower rate of unemployment or the Bureau of Economic Analysis show a higher rate of GDP growth, just before the election next fall?
…First, the people at these and other statistical agencies are dedicated professionals.
…Furthermore, since so much of the data are publicly available, it would be very hard to do this without being detected.
…Theoretically, someone could do something like this, but it would have to be a person who was very knowledgeable about the data. And, they would almost certainly need the cooperation of at least 20 or 30 people at the BLS.
Data manipulation by Trump is of trivial importance, because it would be irrelevant to the thrust of Trump’s (and modern Republicans’) modus operandi. Trump will simply announce terrific results, and denounce factual reporting as fake news.
You know. Its sort of like the weather. Who would be crazy enough to try to manipulate weather data when all anyone has to do is look outside the window?
Trump will neither win nor lose because of any economic data.
I would appreciate not engaging in Trump like conspiracy thinking. Trump has already made the accusation against the BLS before. Let’s not make it part of our cultural repertoire of responses to economic news that are politically inconvenient.
I agree with Rick. He will just say whatever he wants over and over on twitter and at his reichsparteitag. If he needs support he will just have his appointee ratify whatever he says.
We are in a group of people that pay close attention to the data and data can change what we are thinking.
But we are a small minority. The overwhelming bulk of the population could not quote an economic data report to you 15 minutes after it was headline news. People judge the economy by what is happening to them, not by what the Washington data mill produces.
Try asking the man on the street what the inflation rate or unemployment rata is and you will get answers that are all over the place.
Ask the scientists at the EPA how much the Trump administration is willing to do to deceive the public.
First, you have establish the lowest possible bar for The Dumpster®: He will rape a 13-year-old girl on 5th Avenue and shoot her to prevent her from testifying against him.
Now, anything above that bar is possible.
I hear Lawrence Kudlow is stocking up on sharpies so he can mark up a copy of that BLS report!
Pgl:
Good morning . . .
remember Ross threatened to fire top NOAA staff after they contradicted Trump on Dorian; the BEA and the Census Bureau are under Ross too..