GDP and the National Accounts: One of the Great Inventions of the 20th Century

BEA Director Steve Landefeld

Imagine you’re trying to find your way through a thick forest. It’s a difficult task. You have nothing to help you navigate—no compass, no GPS, and no communications device to use to contact someone for help. In fact, in your wandering, you’ve lost your bearings so completely that you’re not even sure where you’ve been, let alone where you’re going.