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A Political Economy of the Measurement of Inflation

The case of France

  • Book
  • © 2020

Overview

Authors:
  1. Florence Jany-Catrice

    1. Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Lille, Lille, France

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  • Analyses the internal conventions and the disputes that have surrounded the measurement and use of the French CPI in official statistics

  • Gives a thorough account of the debates, experiments and hesitations that have punctuated the life of the price index

  • Reveals in a very educational way the political stakes behind the measurement of inflation, whereas they are too often presented in the literature under its technical aspects

  • Effectively shows all of the struggles and conflicts behind measurement issues throughout the 20th century

  • Offers an effective demonstration of the fact that macroeconomic indicators are always socio-political conventions. It will appeal to researchers and citizens interested in the political issues of quantification

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
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  2. ‘What is a Price Index’: Statistical Approach

    • Florence Jany-Catrice
    Pages 1-21

  3. A Political Economy of the Price Index 1913–1990

    • Florence Jany-Catrice
    Pages 23-48

  4. The European Turning Point

    • Florence Jany-Catrice
    Pages 49-71

  5. The Quality Effect

    • Florence Jany-Catrice
    Pages 73-93

  6. From Consumer Prices to the ‘Cost of Living’

    • Florence Jany-Catrice
    Pages 95-108

  7. The Reform of ‘Checkout Data’

    • Florence Jany-Catrice
    Pages 109-117

  8. Under- or Overestimation of Inflation?

    • Florence Jany-Catrice
    Pages 119-132

  9. Back Matter

    Pages 133-139
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Keywords

About this book

Inflation should no longer be a politically sensitive indicator. Indeed, since the early 1980s, macroeconomic policies have managed to contain it. Yet the consumer price index (CPI), which is the main indicator for measuring inflation, remains very frequently consulted by citizens, due to its multiple uses. The CPI is used for indexing wages, pensions, but also various contracts such as food pensions. It is also used by National Accounts to deflate macroeconomic values and to provide data in “real” terms. But how is this CPI measured? index? What reforms have happened to give shape to the XXIst century CPI? 



This book presents the CPI based on the study of the controversies that have marked its history. Set in both the socio-economic and ideas contexts, these controversies show the eminently conventional and political nature of the CPI and, therefore, of many other macroeconomic indicators, such as growth or productivity.


Authors and Affiliations

  • Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Lille, Lille, France

    Florence Jany-Catrice

About the author

Florence Jany-Catrice is Full Professor of Economics at the University of Lille, France. She conducts her research at Clersé (Lille Center for Economic and Sociological Studies and Research) -UMR 8019 around the quality economy (work, employment, services, wealth) and its measures. Florence Jany-Catrice chairs the French association of political economy (AFEP). She is also visiting professor at Xi'An University, China and is Richard B. Fisher Member, School of Social Science (2020-21), Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, USA.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: A Political Economy of the Measurement of Inflation

  • Book Subtitle: The case of France

  • Authors: Florence Jany-Catrice

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59940-9

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Economics and Finance, Economics and Finance (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-59939-3Published: 13 January 2021

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-59942-3Published: 13 January 2022

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-59940-9Published: 12 January 2021

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVII, 139

  • Number of Illustrations: 13 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Political Economy/Economic Systems, Economic Growth, European Economics

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