In plain terms
Source Bias audit. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and World Bank are the engine's primary macroeconomic data sources.
Source bias audit. FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and World Bank are the engine's primary macroeconomic data sources. Core biases: (1) FRED is curated by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis — the Fed is not a neutral observer of the economy it manages. Indicators are selected, defined, and revised by the institution whose policy decisions the engine is attempting to evaluate. CPI methodology changes (hedonic adjustments, substitution effects) systematically understate inflation. Unemployment definitions (U-3 vs U-6) systematically understate joblessness. (2) World Bank is a the post-WWII Bretton Woods financial system institution with a development-agenda framing — its data emphasizes GDP growth and poverty reduction metrics that may mask structural extraction. World Bank structural adjustment programs are themselves an engine variable (Latin America the system that extracts wealth from the public). (3) Revision risk — FRED data is frequently revised months after initial release. The engine's live feed scores events against preliminary data that may be materially different from final figures. (4) The Fed's own independence is an engine variable — Powell's Mar 30 ambiguity (could cut OR hike) shows the institution navigating political pressure