The CPI is a measure of the overall cost of
A. producer inputs.
B. personal imports.
C. goods and services bought by a typical consumer.
D. goods and services produced in the economy.
For any given year, the CPI is the price of the basket of goods and services in the
A. given year divided by the price of the basket in the base year, then multiplied by 100.
B. base year divided by the price of the basket in the base year, then divided by 100.
C. base year divided by the price of the basket in the given year, then divided by 100.
D. base year divided by the price of the basket in the given year, then multiplied by 100.
Substitution causes the increase in the cost of living from one year to the next to be
A. neither overstated or understated by the CPI because the CPI is based on the price of all goods.
B. overstated by the CPI because the basket of goods used to compute the CPI changes from year to year and so does not take into account the fact that as prices rise people purchase more of the goods they like less.
C. understated by the CPI because the CPI changes from year to year and so does not take into account the fact that people substitute higher quality goods for lower quality ones as income increases.
D. overstated by the CPI because the CPI is based on a fixed basket of goods that does not reflect increases in the purchases of goods that become relatively cheap.
Unmeasured quality change is a problem in the CPI because
A. if the quality of a good deteriorates, the purchasing power of a dollar increases even if the price of the good remains the same.
B. the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not attempt to account for any quality changes that affect the standard of living.
C. if the quality of a good improves, the purchasing power of a dollar increases even if the price of the good remains the same.
D. Both a and b are correct.