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Consumer Protest

2. The Office of Compliance and Enforcement, which Polaris to pay fine for ATV failures. (2005, January 24) Power-
supervises compliance and administrative activities sports business, 8(2), 1.
related to the act. This office also reviews proposed Sushinsky, George (2004). Growing together. ASTM Interna-
standards and rules with respect to their enforceabil- tional standardization news. Retrieved October 24, 2005,
ity. from http://astm.org/SNEWS.
3. The Office of Information and Public Affairs, which
is responsible for the development, implementation, Phyllis Bunn
and evaluation of a comprehensive national infor- Laurie Barfitt
mation and public affairs program designed to pro-
mote product safety.

In addition, the commission has also written rules to CONSUMER PROTEST
establish performance, design, composition, packaging,
The United States was built on the philosophy of ensur-
and construction standards for many products. Examples
ing citizens’ rights as set forth in the Constitution and Bill
of products with mandatory safety standards include of Rights. Throughout history, American citizens and
matchbooks, walk-behind power lawn mowers, residential
garage-door openers, swimming-pool slides, chain saws, consumers have expended considerable energy toward
ensuring that organizations, retailers, and governments
home-use pesticides, and cellulose insulation.
recognize and adhere to these rights. When citizens
The CPSC has been involved in actions to protect believe one of those rights has been overlooked or denied,
U.S. citizens. For example, Polaris Industries was fined
they join in protest to rectify the perceived injustice, as
$950,000 for allegedly continuing to make certain was evidenced by the pre–American Revolution Boston
engines on all-terrain vehicles after receiving injury and Tea Party.
accident reports. Also, Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex
Since the Boston Tea Party, consumers have deter-
agreed to pay a $1.2 million civil penalty to settle allega-
mined to attain and maintain an undercurrent of resist-
tions that they failed to report defects in countertop toast-
ers, juice extractors, and slow cookers. ance to unfair business and industry practices directly
affecting consumers’ health, welfare, and safety. Specifi-
Consumers have benefited in the areas where the
cally, during certain volatile times (the 1890s Progressive
CPSC has taken action. The commission is constantly era, the Great Depression in the 1930s, and the 1960s
challenged to keep abreast of new products and potential
through the 1970s), consumer concerns have been more
hazards that may be associated with them. The commis-
strongly emphasized. Women’s magazines (e.g., McClure’s
sion is usually able to react, however, only after a con- and Ladies’ Home Journal) awakened women to the activist
sumer has been injured or died. The CPSC has changed
movement as a way of ensuring safe products, achieving
the way many products are designed and manufactured.
justice, and attaining a level of equality.
Continuing education by consumer groups, the media,
and the CPSC has helped increase public awareness of Upton Sinclair’s 1906 graphic novel The Jungle
possible consumer safety hazards. The CPSC is an impor- exposed unsanitary food-processing and meat-packing
tant consumer protection agency, protecting consumers conditions. As a result, the U.S. Congress passed the Pure
by ensuring that products they use every day are safe. Food and Drug Act of 1906, which created the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA). In 1937 more than 100
SEE ALSO Consumer Bill of Rights
people died after using a liquid sulfur drug, Elixir Sulfanil-
amide, which proved the inadequacy of the Pure Food and
BIBLIOGRAPHY Drug Act. A new law, the federal Food, Drug, and Cos-
Consumer Product and Safety Act. (1972). Section 2051. metic Act of 1938, was enacted. Before marketing new
Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site. drugs, manufacturers were required by this law to prove
http://www.cpsc.gov their safety to the FDA.
Fise, M. E. R. (2003). Consumer product safety regulation. In World War II (1939–1945) minimized consumer
K. J. Meier, E. T. Garman, and L. R. Keiser (Eds.), Regula- concerns until the early 1960s. President John F. Kennedy,
tion and consumer protection: Politics, bureaucracy and econom-
ics (4th ed.). Mason, OH: Thomson Custom Solutions. who considered consumer protection to be an important
issue, suggested improvements in existing programs and
Garman, E. T. (2005). Consumer economic issues in America (8th
also proposed two new consumer protection programs: a
ed.). Mason, OH: Thomson Custom Solutions.
special assistant for consumer affairs (which was carried
Hamilton Beach agrees to pay $1.2 M civil penalty. (2005, April
11). HNF: The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing out by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964) and a
Network, p. 123. national oversight board made up of labor, cooperative,

150 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE, SECOND EDITION