Cmty Dev & Apld Econ: Consumer Law and Policy

Law as an expression of public policy to protect consumers in the marketplace. Emphasis on laws prohibiting deceptive advertising and marketing practices. Prerequisites: ENGL 1001, ENGL 1210, CDAE 1240, or CDAE 1610; Sophomore standing.

Prereqs enforced by the system: ENGL 1001 or 1210 or CDAE 1240 or CDAE 1610; Sophomore standing Open to degree and PACE students

Consumer Law and Policy teaches students how to protect themselves as consumers in today’s marketplace. First, we will discuss the legal process and government’s role in consumer protection. We will learn about some fundamental legal concepts like civil litigation, contracts, and the law of Unfair & Deceptive Acts and Practices. We will then cover specific consumer protection issues including Landlord/Tenant, Auto Sales, Privacy and Data Security, Deceptive Advertising, Telemarketing and Deceptive Sales, Banking & Credit, Debt, Contracts and Warranties, Antitrust, and Scams. We will look at real incidents and current events involving unfair and deceptive acts and practices. This class is about more than just the law, however. A lot of existing in the modern world means existing in a marketplace, whether through the services you buy in your home, the financial tools you use to get by, the shopping you do, or your entire experience of being online. As you maneuver through all of these financial decisions, there are people who are constantly trying you to make bad decisions, decisions that are against your interest, decisions that will profit them but for which you will get little in return. This class will help you avoid those pitfalls. It will help you figure out how to make the decisions that will maximize your happiness and achieve your goals, not the goals of marketers, banks, businesses and scammers. At the end of this course, you will be able to use your understanding of state and federal laws and regulations to analyze common consumer transactions and identify some of the legal issues that can come up in the marketplace. You will better be able to protect yourself in the marketplace and to make sounder financial decisions. Finally, you will understand the nature of several common scams and how to protect yourself from techniques used to manipulate consumer preference.

Evaluation will involve assignments, quizzes, a midterm and final exam. All quizzes and exams are open notes and open book.