The CPI is a pretty standard 'tool' for economists. You basically take x-number of goods bought monthly, and keep visiting (repeating) to see if the price has gone up or down.
Can you rig CPI? You could but then you'd be defeating the usefulness of the tool.
So to explain this to a redneck....you have a 12 cases of assorted beer that you buy (12 brands).
You start out at store X and buy one case of Miller Lite for $26.99. You repeat this process for the remaining 11 cases. Then you add the numbers up, and you have x-amount for May 2024.
If you were rigging this? You'd have a list of superior discount shops and buy the beer only while on sale. In this case, you might find the Miller Lite case....discounted at one particular shop for $24.99.
You'd then repeat the discount game....to ensure the CPI looks great but at a majority of shops....it's likely to be $28.99. You skipped them because your inflation numbers would be crap, if you did this right.
Screwed up? No....it's just the way that you fake people out.
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