The Great Expectation Gap The American economy's current woes are not about GDP growth or jobs numbers, but about a fundamental issue: our collective sense of what's acceptable in a price tag.
For decades, we've been conditioned to expect steady cost increases – but that's precisely what's proving elusive today.
The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index has been tracking the public's mood since 1952, and its latest numbers are dire: the lowest level ever recorded.