<blockquote>Economic issues have taken center stage in this year’s elections, as the United  States continues to stagger from the effects of recession and the 2008  global banking crisis. Candidates for federal, state and local offices  are looking to tap into voter discontent about issues like unemployment,  home foreclosures and the government spending.

It can be tough for journalists to make sense out of candidates’ claims. So the <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/">Sunlight Foundation</a> and <a href="http://ire.org/">Investigative Reporters and Editors</a> have teamed up to offer this guide to some of the most authoritative  economic data sets. We’ll provide an explanation of what the indicators  really mean, their weaknesses and how they are created. Also, we’ll  point you to the data and documentation so you can explore for yourself.

We trust these resources will help you better cover the key issues of this election." <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://ire.org/resource-center/econocheck/" target="_blank">EconoCheck</a></blockquote>