

Can national statistics be self-fulfilling? - ableal
http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/04/26/can-national-statistics-be-self-fulfilling/

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ableal
Double quote:

 _In a strange way, Britain’s ONS, and similar agencies like the Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS) and Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) in the United
States, hold the fate of politicians in their hands because they help write
the political narrative.

It is only a slight exaggeration to say BEA is one of the most powerful
agencies in the U.S. government. It may not have as many tanks as the
Pentagon, but by measuring the success and failure of economic policies, it
can make and break presidencies, as President George H W Bush could confirm
and Barack Obama fears._

Well turned phrase there, "may not have as many tanks as" ...

