Consumer safety
Regulation, liability law, and standards meant to reduce injury from products, food, drugs, and services—classic non-price rationales for government rules.
Safety policy blends ex ante standards (crash tests, contamination limits) with ex post liability (tort suits, strict liability for manufacturing defects). Economists weigh mandates against higher prices, delayed innovation, moral hazard if users take fewer precautions, and informational limits—consumers rarely observe latent risks.
Cost-benefit analysis frequently monetizes statistical lives saved, reduced injuries, and industry compliance costs—often becoming the battleground in judicial review of major rules.
Agency politics
High-profile recalls and tort cases shaped public expectations that markets alone cannot police every hazard—grounds for institution pages (FTC, CPSC) sketched in the broader content plan.