It sounds like a case of general consensus being taken as truth. But with the recession still plodding along, some economists are questioning the primacy economic policy gives to consumer spending as the driver of the recovery. Read the the NYT article, "Misplaces Focus on Consumer Spending," about this interesting economics conjecture written by Casey B. Mulligan.
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/why-the-big-deal-about-consumer-spending/
