President Donald Trump and his team are talking about affordability. So are Democrats like Zohran Mamdani and Jim Clyburn. Why does the word hold so much political power?

Economist Mohamed El-Erian expressed concern, as consumers and businesses pull back spending and investors appear to question the role of the U.S. dollar.

“If we think about the ways that companies collect data, it ranges so widely from different company,” said George Washington University’s Tara Sinclair. “That’s why it’s so important that we have government statistical agencies.”