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Measuring consumption growth: the impact of new and better products

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  • Peter J. Klenow

Abstract

This study describes how the U.S. government measures real consumption growth and how it tries to take account of a complicating factor: that the goods and services offered to consumers change over time; new products are introduced and old products are improved. The 1996 Boskin Commission critique of this government methodology is described, along with the changes made in response to that critique. Also described is recent research related to how real consumption growth should be measured in the presence of new and better products.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter J. Klenow, 2003. "Measuring consumption growth: the impact of new and better products," Quarterly Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, vol. 27(Win), pages 10-23.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedmqr:y:2003:i:win:p:10-23:n:v.27no.1
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    Cited by:

    1. Ariel Burstein & Martin Eichenbaum & Sergio Rebelo, 2005. "Large Devaluations and the Real Exchange Rate," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 113(4), pages 742-784, August.
    2. Bruce Sacerdote, 2017. "Fifty Years Of Growth In American Consumption, Income, And Wages," NBER Working Papers 23292, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Abe, Naohito & Inakura, Noriko & Tonogi, Akiyuki, 2017. "Effects of the Entry and Exit of Products on Price Indexes," RCESR Discussion Paper Series DP17-2, Research Center for Economic and Social Risks, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    4. David McKenzie & Ernesto Schargrodsky, 2005. "Buying Less, But Shopping More: Changes In Consumption Patterns During A Crisis," Business School Working Papers buyinglessshop, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.
    5. Scanlon, Paul, 2019. "New goods and asset prices," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(3), pages 140-157.
    6. Erzo G. J. Luttmer, 2004. "The size distribution of firms in an economy with fixed and entry costs," Working Papers 633, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    7. Nguyen, Thang, 2005. "Separating Quantity Shock and Quality Innovation in Relative Prices," MPRA Paper 225, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 07 May 2006.
    8. Henning Ahnert & Geoff Kenny, 2004. "Quality adjustment of European price statistics and the role for hedonics," Occasional Paper Series 15, European Central Bank.
    9. Alain Bensoussan & Jussi Keppo & Suresh P. Sethi, 2009. "Optimal Consumption And Portfolio Decisions With Partially Observed Real Prices," Mathematical Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(2), pages 215-236, April.

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    Consumption (Economics);

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