Consumer Policy in a Market Economy Considerations from the Perspective of the Economics of Information,the New Institutional Economics as well as Behavioural Economics

The question concerning when a governmental intervention in the market system is justified has occupied economists from the very beginning and has been a controversial discussion topic for just as long. Against this background, with respect to modern consumer policy, which still represents a relatively young field in the theory of economic policy, it is vital to find sound economic reasons for governmental regulations in order to protect consumers. Therefore, the article attempts to assess what the various economic literatures have added to our understanding of good consumer policy. For this reason, those policy implications that might flow from different theoretical approaches in order to broaden the foundation of an economic justification for consumer policy will be analysed. For this purpose, the consumer policy implications of the Economics of Information will be described, including a denomination of some certain problems all of which are not covered satisfactorily by this approach. Subsequently and in order to amend the informational economics framework, further economical approaches from New Institutional Economics, Behavioural Economics as well as Behavioural Consumer Research, which provide a complementary analysis of consumer behaviour in consideration of the respective decision-making situations and determining constraints (formal and informal rules, cognitive and emotional boundaries), will be discussed comparatively with respect to their consumer policy implications.     

A Dismal Reality: Behavioural Analysis and Consumer Policy

Before the behavioural turn, the economic account of consumer policy concerns was too optimistic and reductive. After the turn, we, the consumers, are more likely to need from an economic perspective a more intrusive consumer policy. This is the dismality thesis defended in this article. The dismality thesis is a theoretical, comparative, and argumentative thesis, albeit normatively incomplete. It follows from two premises. First, pre-behavioural economics elaborated a restricted theory of consumer harm in unregulated markets (“consumer harm premise”) and, second, it overstated the effectiveness of information disclosure as a means of consumer policy (“institutional premise”). The dismality thesis is further supported by a comparison of the discussion of attributes control in the pre- and post-behavioural turn literature and by commenting on the main source of controversy about attributes control in the post-turn literature, the so-called “artificial truncation” of behavioural analysis.     

Economics of Consumer Protection: Contributions and Challenges in Estimating Consumer Injury and Evaluating Consumer Protection Policy

Journal of Consumer Policy - The author examines the role of economics in consumer protection, drawing from her experience at the U. S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has a dual mandate to...     

引领消费经济理论研究的一面旗帜--热烈祝贺《消费经济》创刊20周年

二十年前，当改革开放的春风吹绿华夏大地、消费经济理论研究刚刚起步的时候，由著名经济学家、我国消费经济学创始人之一的尹世杰教授一手创办的《消费经济》隆重面世。尽管人们日复一日、年复一年地在重复消费这个行为，尽管马克思主义经典作家从理论上对消费有过许多科学精彩的论述，但是在当代，我国经济理论工作者对消费的系统研究仍是落后了一步。正是在这样的背景下，《消费经济》的诞生就具有了非常的意义：她是一个标志，向世人宣告，消费经济理论研究和发展的成果，从此有了舞台；她是一个号角，唤起经济理论工作者向这个领域进军的激情。弹指间，二十年过去了，在尹世杰教授的领导下，《消费经济》不负众望，为马克思主义消费经济理论的研究和发展，作出了重要贡献。     

《消费经济》的发展需要加强消费经济学科建设

今天是一个大喜的日子，大家来到这里，一起庆贺《消费经济》杂志创刊20周年。在这里，我要感谢《消费经济》杂志的主编尹世杰教授，感谢他多年来不懈的工作和创造性的研究成果，使得《消费经济》在经济期刊中取得如此高的学术地位。我要感谢各位专家学者，感谢大家对《消费经济》的关怀与厚爱。同时，我也代表《消费经济》的主管单位湖南商学院，感谢湖南省新闻出版局、湖南师范大学和湘潭大学对于《消费经济》的关心和支持。正是大家的共同努力，才使《消费经济》取得了今天这样引人注目的成就。     

Behavioural Economics in Unfair Contract Terms

The domain of behavioural law and economics is winning increasing attention also in the field of consumer policy. How the insights of behavioural law and economics can be used in policy remains, to a large extent, unclear. In this article, the following question is asked: “To what extent can the insights from the behavioural literature be applied in a way to formulate concrete suggestions to policy makers?” The authors show that many of the findings of the behavioural literature are very context-specific and hence apply only with respect to particular products or services and particular consumer groups. Formulating general policy conclusions is therefore difficult. However, as far as the specific domain of standard form contracts is concerned, the authors argue that the behavioural literature has shown that the traditional remedy (mostly resulting from information economics), being to focus on information disclosure will not be able to remedy market failures resulting from failing information and the "signing-without-reading-problem." Hence, more substantive forms of intervention in standard form contracts (e.g., resulting from collective bargaining) may be indicated as a remedy.     

谈谈消费经济学的发展问题--兼谈"广义消费经济学"

这次全国第六次消费经济理论与实践研讨会在我们学院举行,我感到十分荣幸.在这里,我想就消费经济的发展问题,谈谈自己的看法.     

《消费文化学》与尹世杰消费经济思想

尹世杰同志关于消费问题研究的又一部学术著作<消费文化学>已由湖北人民出版社于2002年6月出版.<消费文化学>的出版标志着尹世杰同志在消费问题研究领域所进行的具有开拓性和创新性的研究已拓展到一个更具有探索价值的课题.任何一个社会的经济发展都有着深刻的文化背景和民族的文化底蕴,一定的经济发展必然会孕育某种与之相应的文化,并且反过来这种相应的文化又会影响经济的发展.经济与文化的这种辩证关系既推动着经济的发展,又促进着文化的繁荣.就消费经济与消费文化的关系来讲也是如此.因此,从消费经济学的研究拓展到消费文化学的研究,可以说是一种合乎逻辑和历史的演绎的必然结果.     

谈谈消费经济学的走向--为纪念《消费经济》创刊20周年而作

二十年来，在《消费经济》的倡导和支持下，消费经济从无到有，而今已茁壮成长，成为经济学的一个重要分支，令众多学子敬仰。     

愿消费经济学的园地永远繁花似锦--祝贺《消费经济》创刊20周年

尹世杰教授是我尊敬的老朋友，老学者。他毕生忠诚于马克思主义经济理论特别是消费经济学的教学与研究工作，成绩卓著，为我国社会主义消费经济的建立和发展作出了巨大贡献。兹逢《消费经济》创刊20周年，特函表示诚挚的祝贺，望继续努力，再创辉煌。     

从消费经济学的学科地位谈起

今天我在这里出席全国第六次消费经济理论与实践研讨会,内心十分激动.我个人认为,消费经济的发展,是与尹世杰教授的巨大贡献分不开的.尹世杰教授对消费经济理论的建设方面,对消费经济理论队伍的建设方面,对国家制订的有关政策方面,在对城乡居民消费实践的指导方面,都做出了重大的贡献.他是消费经济的泰斗,在他年届花甲之后,还进入了消费经济理论研究的旺盛期.大量的著作,等身的著作,都是他在60岁以后写成的.在这一点上,我们的许多中老年理论工作者包括我自己,是不能相比的.我们虽然有年龄优势,但尹世杰教授孜孜以求、年长益壮,我们都不及他,他是我们的榜样.     

Consumer education and the OECD electronic commerce consumer protection guidelines

This paper explores the implications of e‐commerce transactions and the lack of consumer protection regulation on consumer educators and curricula. The discussion is divided into five sections: conceptualizing e‐commerce; the juggernaut of e‐commerce; consumer education defined, especially consumer protection in the electronic market‐place; the Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) 1998 Ottawa conference on electronic commerce; and the implications of this fluid market and policy context on consumer educators. Empowerment of the consumer, the ultimate objective of consumer education, is a total challenge in the global electronic market‐place, but a challenge that must be embraced by staying informed, becoming a consumer advocate, as well as educator, and remaining ever vigilant as curricula are developed for the domestic consumer transacting in an electronic global market.     

Usefulness of Economics in Explaining Consumer Complaints

Based on an economic model of consumer demand, a multinomial logit model is estimated to predict the probability of a consumer falling into one of four categories of complaint action: no action, private, public, or both private and public complaints. Automobile repair and medical services are used as examples of more and less competitive industries. There are differences across industries with regard to variables that explain variation in complaints. Once variables representing the cost/benefit, learning, restraints, and personality models are accounted for, most of the variation in complaint behavior for both industries is explained by the learning and restraints models. Characteristics of individuals are important in explaining complaint behavior for both auto repair and medical services, while supply side characteristics are important in explaining variation in complaint behavior for auto repair services.     

Riding the Wave: Consumer Economics and the Consumer Movement in the United States

The development and current state of the scholarly field of Consumer Economics in the United States is discussed in relation to the Consumer Movement and other forces that have impinged upon it. Membership in the American Council on Consumer Interests, the scholarly organization for consumer economists, is used as one measure of the size and health of the field. Other forces impinging on the field that are discussed include: the baby boom induced increase in the demand for college education; the subsequent decline in the support for higher education as higher education costs rose throughout the 1980s and 1990s; the decline in the Federal Government's support for consumer research and consumer education; and the development of competing organizations.     

Consumer Economics and Family Economics: The Charge,the Response

A “Timeless” charge to consumer economics and family economics is identified. In light of the charge, the area is examined with particular emphasis on scholarly activity. It is suggested that scholarship in the area is diffuse and often addresses parts of issues. This creates concerns as to whether the historical charge is being met.     

加大消费经济研究领域的拓疆力度

我国第一个消费经济专业理论刊物《消费经济》至今已有20年了。20年来这份刊物为经济学拓展一片新的研究园地,为培养一支新的经济学研究队伍,为促进我国经济的发展作出了不可忽视的贡献。在此我作为受益人谨向以尹世杰教授为杰出代表的消费经济学的创始者致以崇高的敬意!向邓国用副教授等编辑们长期以来不计名利、任劳任怨为《消费经济》办刊质量的不断提升所做出的奉献致以深深的谢意!《消费经济》本着“研究消费理论,指导生产经营,提供消费信息,引导居民消费”的办刊宗旨,20年来对推进、推广社会主义消费经济理论研究,促进社会主义两个文…     

Economics of Consumer Class Actions*

The consumer class action has been hailed as the ultimate consumer remedy. It permits economies of scale in some legal proceedings which may benefit the consumer. Moreover, government agencies will not ordinarily bring suit on behalf of one of these consumers but they will, in some cases, sue on behalf of the class. In the case of a harmful commodity, if a class action is successfully adjudicated disutility is lowered for those harmed and social benefits (i.e., collective benefits) may accrue in some measure to those for whom damage was averted. Whether in the short run or the extent to which in the long run prices will be increased as a result of the adjudication of a class action depends upon the degree of competition in the market in which the producing firm operates and on the level and elasticity of the relevant supply and demand curves for the product subsequent to the suit. Even without suit being brought the effect of the threat posed by the availability of the consumer class action will be a shift to a higher quality of product and more non-price competition on the basis of quality or at least a reduction of fraud and of harmful product attributes. The overall effect of the class action being available as a legal tool should be a better performing market and better performing agencies serving the consumer. Though consumer economic welfare will not always be increased through the use of the class action, its increased use is important if we are to have a more equitable economy.     

研究消费经济理论,发展消费经济学

我热烈祝贺全国第六次消费经济理论研讨会的隆重举行,祝贺尹世杰教授八十华诞.在这里,我想讲三个问题.