ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Consensus Economics

Consensus economics is like when a group of people get together to make a big decision about money. Imagine you and all your friends want to buy a pizza but no one can agree on what toppings to get. So you all talk it out and try to come up with a decision that makes everybody happy. That is like what economists do when they are trying to figure out what will happen with the economy in the future.

Economists are experts who study the way we make and spend money. But sometimes they have different ideas about what will happen in the economy. For example, one economist might say that the economy is going to grow really fast in the next year, while another economist might say the opposite. So, what do we do when they don't agree? This is where consensus economics comes in.

Consensus economics is when a group of economists get together and combine all their different ideas to come up with one prediction about what will happen in the economy. They talk about things like how much people spend, how many jobs are available, and how much businesses are making. All of this information helps them make a decision about what they think will happen in the future.

It's like when you and your friends finally decide on what toppings to get on the pizza. You might not all get exactly what you wanted, but everyone is happy because you made a decision together. By using consensus economics, economists can make better predictions about what will happen in the economy, which helps businesses and governments plan for the future.