The Mismeasurement of America: How Outdated Government Statistics Mask the Economic Struggle of Everyday Americans

It's an old story. Despite headlines heralding growth, those on the ground still feel the pinch of hardship. Resentment grows, while those in power paint a pretty picture of the economy. All too often, those who can do something are left unaware or willfully ignorant of the warning signs that contradict the rosier numbers--to catastrophic effect.

What causes this gap between perception and supposed reality? Author, economist, and former U.S. Comptroller of the Currency Gene Ludwig and his research team at the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity went looking for the truth--and found that behind the facade is a grimmer reality for lower- and middle-class Americans.

Their findings, condensed here into four key measurements that bring our real economic situation to light, are accessible, relevant, and bracing. Far from just correcting a fundamentally misleading picture of our economy, The Mismeasurement of America provides new, accurate ways of understanding life for most Americans.

In doing so, Ludwig's findings offer a voice to lower- and middle-class Americans and a clearer path forward for national leaders.