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MEASURING ECONOMIC NARRATIVES

Foundation measures the narratives that drive economic outcomes. Foundation's narrative indices, when combined with traditional economic data, gives users a complete view of their business environment so that they can make faster, better, data-driven decisions.

OUR MISSION

Measuring the Narratives that Drive Economic Outcomes

At Foundation, we believe the economy is social. It exists in ideas and connections between people. Our mission is to create a fuller picture of economic activity by measuring the narratives that drive economic behavior.

An economist surveying business activity

A Brief History of Economic Measurement

1700s

Counting Crops and More

In the 1700s collecting data (i.e., counting things) was a radical technology! Early statisticians counted crops, finances, people, and other resources to help rulers get a clearer picture of their states. This technology had its detractors. Deemed "vulgar statistics" critics said states and economies were too dynamic to be described with mere numbers.

1800s

Data Plus Math as Prescription

In the 1800s, statisticians and economists began producing mathematical models, validated with historical data, to attempt to predict the future and prescribe policy. The most famous example is Thomas Malthus, who predicted an increasing population would outstrip the food supply. 

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