Neither. There's many many sources of economic data, the more money on the line the less reliant on any single source they will be (and the more likely collecti

Neither. There's many many sources of economic data, the more money on the line the less reliant on any single source they will be (and the more likely collection will be done in house or contracted and kept private). The more money on the line the more incentive there is to control what will be said. What incentives do they have to make noise if the books are cooked? They would be inviting the ire of the people who regulate them. Simply because something is claimed independent does not mean it is immune to politics and human nature.