The Ford Mustang – one of America’s favorite muscle cars – is not made in America.

The Chevy Suburban, a staple of the American suburbs, isn’t either.

Made in America means 75 percent American-made parts and assembled in the U.S. The Suburban is 67 percent American, and the Mustang is only 65.

Not a single pair of Levi Strauss & Co. jeans, the denim of cowboys and frontier life, are made in America.

No American Girl or Superman doll, manufactured by Mattel, is made in America.

Most of the American flags displayed in this country are not made in America.

Manufacturers are blamed when they move their factories and their jobs overseas in their quest for higher profits, which certainly does happen, but the truth is, American consumer demand for ever-cheaper products is also forcing domestic manufacturers off our shores.

We want products to be made in America, but seem unwilling to pay what it would cost to manufacture them here.

The National Association of Manufacturers lobbies strongly to maintain manufacturing jobs at home, fighting a disintegration into a purely service-oriented workforce in the United States.

It’s a tough sell, given our desire for cheap goods, but NAM is right to be concerned.

According to a study by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, for every $1 spent on American-manufactured products, another $1.43 is generated in what it calls “intermediate products and services.” When applying the same multiplier formula to the service industry, the Commerce Department calculates for every $1 spent on service-related jobs, another 80 cents is generated by information technology services, 70 cents generated for education and health services and 50 cents for financial and business services.

The economic return for every dollar spent on American-manufactured goods is still higher than for jobs in the service industry, which means perhaps we – as individual Americans – should better resist the idea that our destiny is a pure service economy. It just doesn’t make good economic sense.

So, what is made in America?

The Toyota Camry is assembled here using American-made parts, earning a Made in America designation.

The Honda Civic, Odyssey and Accord are all made in America.

Carhartt clothing’s operation is based in Kentucky.

Anchor Hocking glassware is crafted in Ohio.

Vermont Teddy Bears are really made in Vermont.

We are not suggesting that consumers stop shopping for the best price. But, when the price of American made goods matches the price of goods manufactured offshore, it just makes sense to choose the American-made product because we – as a nation – benefit from that purchase with revenue from additional products and services associated with their manufacture.