This book is a historical account, an institutional study, and a discussion of policy choices made by the U.S. FTC.
The FTC’s creation in 1914 represented a turning point in American history where skepticism of expertise and central regulatory authority was overcome by the need to address contemporary market conditions. My book connects today’s tussles over privacy regulation to the institutional structures created by America’s nascent administrative state.
A central theme in the book surrounds public choice theory and its fit to the FTC over the past century.
The book has been reviewed five times and has been translated into Japanese. A Chinese version is forthcoming. Over 1,000 copies have sold in English. Here’s my blog with book updates and commentary on the FTC.