Economic Rights and Regulations

Throughout this topic, you learned about the government’s role in protecting the labor force, the environment, and competition in the marketplace.  The government uses agencies such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate consumer products.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is tasked with protecting human health and the environment by enforcing legislation dealing with pollution and hazardous materials.  The Department of Labor and the Occupational and Safety Hazards Administration (OSHA) are responsible for enforcing laws that regulate labor.  The government also uses antitrust legislation to break up illegal monopolies and regulate legal monopolies.

You also examined the role of the government in protecting personal property rights.  The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments provide protections at the federal and state level, respectively.  Legal contracts are also used to protect personal property, private businesses, and intellectual property.