, Columnist
Populist Economics Is the Antidote to Corporate Avarice
Too many businesses make it so hard for consumers to find low prices that they often give up and pay a higher one.
Checking for gouges.
Photographer: Erin Schaff/AFP
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Banning junk fees, restricting price gouging, imposing rent controls: Why all of a sudden are there so many populist economic policies and proposals?
The answer lies in the cumbersome US economy. Americans are familiar with government red tape and bureaucracy, but the private sector is equally culpable. Corporations have perfected the art of making it just hard enough to pay less that consumers often give up and pay more. This strategy is doing long-term harm to America’s culture and economy.