GMAT考试写作指导：Issue写作范文八四

　　84. Requiring businesses to provide complete product information to customers

　　promotes various consumer interests, but at the same time imposes burdens on

　　businesses, government, and taxpayers. On balance, the burdens outweigh the benefits,

　　at least in most cases.

　　A threshold problem with disclosure requirements is that of determining what

　　constitutes complete information. Admittedly, legislating disclosure requirements

　　clarifies the duties of business and the rights of consumers. Yet determining what

　　requirements are fair in all cases is problematic. Should it suffice to list ingredients,

　　instructions, and intended uses, or should customers also be informed of precise

　　specifications, potential risks, and results of tests measuring a products effectiveness

　　vis-a-vis competing products? A closely related problem is that determining and

　　enforcing disclosure standards necessarily involves government regulation, thereby

　　adding to the ultimate cost to the consumer by way of higher taxes. Finally, failure to

　　comply may result in regulatory fines, a cost that may either have a chilling effect on

　　product innovation or be passed on to the customers in the form of higher prices. Either

　　result operates to the detriment of the consumer, the very party whom the regulations

　　are designed to protect.

　　These burdens must be weighed against the interest in protecting consumers

　　against fraud and undue health and safety hazards. To assume that businesses will

　　voluntarily disclose negative product information ignores the fact that businesses are

　　motivated by profit, not by public interest concerns. However, consumers today have

　　ready access to many consumer-protection resources, and may not need the protection

　　of government regulation. Although health and safety concerns are especially

　　compelling in the case of products that are inherently dangerous―power tools,

　　recreational equipment, and the like―or new and relatively untested products,

　　especially pharmaceuticals, narrow exceptions can always be carved out for these

　　products.

　　In conclusion, while stringent disclosure requirements may be appropriate for

　　certain products, businesses and consumers alike are generally better off without the

　　burdens imposed by requiring that businesses provide complete product information to

　　all customers.