by Jeff Sovern
The country faces many issues which merit attention during the debates. Among them is consumer protection. Failures of consumer law contributed to 2008's Great Recession. Consumer protection is regularly in the headlines (just ask Wells Fargo or Volkswagen). The choice of the next president is likely to have a huge impact on consumer protection. One party generally supports the CFPB, its proposed arbitration rule, and a variety of other consumer protections; the other party wants to limit regulation in general and the CFPB in particular. I very much hope one or more moderators asks about consumer protection. If a moderator wanted to ask about the candidates' views of regulation, the moderator could make the question more concrete by asking whether the CFPB has been a positive force by, for example, fining Wells Fargo and returning billions to consumers, or if it should be limited or restrained, and how.
