Under the Trump administration, regulatory agencies have increasingly relied on economics to provide guidance on consumer protection policies. The dominance of Republican Attorneys General have reinforced that tendency at the state level. At the same time, behavioral economics has bid for greater influence over consumer protection policy versus traditional economic approaches. In addition, new forms of communication have challenged traditional rationales for consumer protection by reducing traditional information asymmetries and credence goods (such as traditionally justified practices like occupational licensing), while revealing rent-seeking motivations behind many purported consumer protection laws. This session will review economic approaches to consumer protection as well as examine behavioral law and economics as an alternative approach. Topics will include consumer credit regulation, advertising, licensing, and FinTech innovation.
Business meeting at program conclusion.