---
canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-12/policy-implications-of-the-boskin-commission-report/"
title: "Policy Implications of the Boskin Commission Report"
author:
  name: "CSLS"
  url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/"
date_published: "2026-07-13T06:53:52+00:00"
date_modified: "2026-07-13T06:53:52+00:00"
post_type: "ipm"
summary: ""
ipm_issue_period:
  - "Spring 2006"
ipm_keyword:
  - "Boskin Commission"
  - "chained CPI"
  - "CPI"
  - "hedonic methods"
  - "inflation bias"
  - "new goods bias"
  - "policy implications"
  - "Schultze panel"
  - "United States"
ipm_research_theme:
  - "Measurement and methodology"
ipm_country_focus:
  - "United States"
featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp"
status: "publish"
---

# Policy Implications of the Boskin Commission Report

Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-12/policy-implications-of-the-boskin-commission-report/

# Policy Implications of the Boskin Commission Report

[Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-12-6-Baily.pdf)

Cite this article

×
Cite this article as:

Baily, Martin. 2006. “Policy Implications of the Boskin Commission Report.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 12 (Spring 2006): 74–83. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-12/policy-implications-of-the-boskin-commission-report/

## Author:

-
Martin Baily
Institute for International Economics

## IPM Issue 12

Spring 2006 pp. 74–83

## Related IPM articles

[De-industrialization and the Great Productivity Slowdown: What Comes Next?

Paul Fisher

Spring 2025 | IPM Issue 48 | pp. 115–138](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-48/de-industrialization-and-the-great-productivity-slowdown-what-comes-next/)
[Are Intangibles Running out of Steam?

Bart van Ark, Klaas de Vries, Abdul Erumban

Spring 2024 | IPM Issue 46 | pp. 38–59](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-46/are-intangibles-running-out-of-steam/)

[Cracking the Productivity Code: An International Comparison of UK Productivity

John Van Reenen, Xuyi Yang

Spring 2024 | IPM Issue 46 | pp. 60–82](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-46/cracking-the-productivity-code-an-international-comparison-of-uk-productivity/)
[Intangible Capital, TFP Growth and Green Shoots in New Productivity Data

Filippo Bontadini, Carol Corrado, Jonathan Haskel, Massimiliano Iommi, Cecilia Jona-Lasinio, Tsutomu Miyagawa

Spring 2024 | IPM Issue 46 | pp. 3–37](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-46/intangible-capital-tfp-growth-and-green-shoots-in-new-productivity-data/)

[The Post-2001 Productivity Growth Divergence between Canada and the United States

Wulong Gu, Michael Willox

Fall 2023 | IPM Issue 45 | pp. 28–60](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-45/the-post-2001-productivity-growth-divergence-between-canada-and-the-united-states/)
[Lessons from a Career in Productivity Research: Some Answers, A Glimpse of the Future, and Much Left to Learn

Martin Baily

Spring 2023 | IPM Issue 44 | pp. 120–149](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-44/lessons-from-a-career-in-productivity-research-some-answers-a-glimpse-of-the-future-and-much-left-to-learn/)

[Productivity Growth and Spillovers across European and American Industries: A Global Value Perspective Based on EU KLEMS

Weilin Liu, Qian Cheng, Robin Sickles

Fall 2022 | IPM Issue 43 | pp. 86–109](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-43/productivity-growth-and-spillovers-across-european-and-american-industries-a-global-value-perspective-based-on-eu-klems/)
[Why Was US Labour Productivity Growth So High During the COVID-19 Pandemic? The Role of Labour Composition

Jay Stewart

Spring 2022 | IPM Issue 42 | pp. 87–103](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-42/why-was-us-labour-productivity-growth-so-high-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-the-role-of-labour-composition/)

[Trading Gains and Productivity: A Törnqvist Approach

Ulrich Kohli

Spring 2022 | IPM Issue 42 | pp. 63–86](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-42/trading-gains-and-productivity-a-tornqvist-approach/)
[Is Egypt Really More Productive than the United States? The Data behind the Penn World Table

Robert Inklaar, Pieter Woltjer

Fall 2021 | IPM Issue 41 | pp. 118–137](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-41/is-egypt-really-more-productive-than-the-united-states-the-data-behind-the-penn-world-table/)

## Abstract

## Résumé

EN
FR

Copy link

Email

LinkedIn

This article reviews the policy implications of the Boskin Commission Report, commending the BLS for implementing key methodological improvements — notably the chained CPI and expanded hedonic methods — while arguing that more remains to be done, particularly on the quality change and new goods bias. The author discusses good and bad uses of back-of-the-envelope bias estimates and addresses the merits of the Schultze NAS/NRC panel’s more cautious subsequent assessment. He concludes that the Commission’s estimate of 1.1 percentage points upward bias remains roughly valid today.

Cet article passe en revue les implications politiques du rapport de la Commission Boskin, saluant les améliorations méthodologiques clés mises en œuvre par le BLS — notamment l’IPC enchaîné et les méthodes hédoniques élargies — tout en soutenant que davantage reste à faire, particulièrement en ce qui concerne le biais de changement de qualité et les nouveaux produits. L’auteur examine les bons et mauvais usages des estimations sommaires de biais et aborde le bien-fondé de l’évaluation plus prudente du comité NAS/NRC de Schultze. Il conclut que l’estimation de la Commission d’un biais à la hausse de 1,1 point de pourcentage reste globalement valide aujourd’hui.

[Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-12-6-Baily.pdf)
