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The Current Status Of The U.s. Economy

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Despite the common assertion that all math is inherently difficult, statistics is rooted in simple mathematical concepts. Descriptive statistics, as depicted by author Charles Wheelan in Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data, is a way to summarize raw data in order to make immense data sets more manageable and understandable (2013). As Wheelan points out, everything from presidential elections to baseball games can be summarized using statistics (2013). One of the most prevalent uses of statistical analysis is to summarize data in order to reflect the health of the U.S. economy, specifically through gross domestic product (GDP). Wheelan touches on the subject of how statistics can be used in conjunction with economics; however, there is much more he does not mention. The health of the U.S. economy is imperative to every American. It dictates whether it is a good time to splurge on a pricey vacation, invest in a new company, or save for the future. The only way to truly understand the current status of the U.S. economy is by being able to interpret statistical analyses accurately, which may be trickier than it appears. Just like any other topic, it starts with the basics (mean, median, etc.), but Wheelan soon makes it apparent that things become a bit more complicated when one looks past the fundamentals of statistics (2013). Interpreting statistical analyses is more than just being able to read charts and graphs. Descriptive statistics is rooted in simplicity;

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