By now you should realize how important it is for economists to try and predict future conditions of the U. S. economy. Economists are also interested in the performance of the economy at a more local level. Discuss how local and national forecasts play important roles in the State and Federal levels.

Which is cheaper: eating out or dining in? the mean cost of a flank steak, broccoli, and rice bought at the grocery store is $13.04 (money.msn website, november 7, 2012). a sample of 100 neighborhood restaurants showed a mean price of $12.75 and a standard deviation of $2 for a comparable restaurant meal. a. develop appropriate hypotheses for a test to determine whether the sample data support the conclusion that the mean cost of a restaurant meal is less than fixing a comparable meal at home. b. using the sample from the 100 restaurants, what is the p-value? c. at a = .05, what is your conclusion? d. repeat the preceding hypothesis test using the critical value approach