This book is about consumer safety and the issues that concern both academics and policy-makers in the United States. On one side of the debate are the consumer advocates who say that private markets, if left to their own devices, will impose unacceptable risks on the public. On the other are the conservatives who argue that government safety regulations infringe on personal freedom. There are also economists who say that public intervention has been pursued without adequate analysis of its costs and benefit. This book examines both the debate and the status of current regulatory activity. The approach is practical rather than theoretical.