 The Boskin Commission Report: A Retrospective One Decade LaterInternational Productivity Monitor, 2006, vol. 12, 7-22 Abstract: The author summarizes the report’s methods, findings, and recommendations, and then reviews the comments and criticisms that appeared soon after the report was issued. Changes in CPI methodology are also summarized and assessed, as is recent research on related issues. Based on recent research, the author suggest that the bias estimate for 1995-96 should have been 1.2 to 1.3 percentage points, not 1.1 points. He estimates that the upward bias in the CPI has declined from the revised 1.2-1.3 percentage points in the Boskin era to about 0.8 points today. Yet he notes that the Boskin report, like most contemporary studies of quality change, failed to accord sufficient importance to the value of new products and increased longevity. Allowing for these, he concludes that the current upward bias in the US CPI is at least 1.0 percentage points per year. Keywords: United States; Boskin Commission; Boskin; Measurement; Prices; Consumer Price Index; CPI; Bias; CPI Bias; Consumer Price Index Bias (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sls:ipmsls:v:12:y:2006:2 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from Access Statistics for this article International Productivity Monitor is currently edited by Andrew Sharpe, Executive Director More articles in International Productivity Monitor from Centre for the Study of Living Standards 170 Laurier Ave. W, Suite 604, Ottawa, ON K1P 5V5. Contact information at EDIRC. |
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