MISSION
ARMING THE CONSUMER
Our mission is to arm the consumer with information and insight into how their interests are affected by business decisions in the markets and policy decisions in government.
Consumers’ Bulletin believes that the cost, quality, availability, and variety of goods and services used or desired by American consumers — from both the private and public sectors — are improved by greater consumer knowledge.
Many consumer-focused organizations approach consumer protection from a paternalistic perspective: Consumers cannot be trusted to make wise decisions on their own and ought to be protected from themselves and from the businesses that serve them through top-down governance. However, we believe that the safest consumer is an educated, savvy consumer. Government regulations often serve select corporate interests over less politically connected businesses at the expense of the general welfare and the end user. The same impulse that can drive businesses to cheat consumers in the marketplace can drive them to co-opt government policy to do the same.
Consumers’ Bulletin exists to arm the consumer to avoid the dual harms of mischief in the markets and mischief by policymakers.