Inflation is a general rise in prices due to a decline in the purchasing power of money. The root cause of inflation is governments creating and circulating more money than needed by their nations' economies. Governments engage in inflationary policies to effectively tax citizens at higher rates and to default on national debts caused by government spending. Also, regulations can have inflationary effects because they often ban people from using the most economical products and processes. Contrary to these facts, President Biden and his allies have blamed inflation on corporate greed and singled out retailers like Kroger as the culprits. However, the prices paid by retailers are growing much faster than the prices they charge consumers. Free market competition generally prevents corporations from causing inflation since businesses that fleece customers lose them to their competitors.