I dunno about the politics, but personally I don't think there is a generic "correct" value. The rate describes the state of the world, and the "correct" value

I dunno about the politics, but personally I don't think there is a generic "correct" value. The rate describes the state of the world, and the "correct" value is whatever accurately describes the state of the world. There is a separate question though - is that state of the world good or bad for people? Is it better or worse today than it was yesterday? What can we do - collectively - to push it in a direction that best serves our collective interests? These are valid questions to ask, and I think each takes us further in the direction of politics.