When discussing social issues that concern our state and the nation in general, we tend to place blame upon politicians. These accusations are logically founded — who could have more decision-making power than our elected officials? There’s no doubt that many politicians make decisions based on their personal ideologies instead of the interest of their constituents, and their elected positions often grant them connections that bring economic and political heft. But they are not divine or all-powerful; we have a power as consumers that we’re not making use of.
A free economy is dependent upon the tenets of supply and demand — a demand for a product or service is made by consumers, and those products are supplied by companies and corporations. This idea that consumers have power over the market is called “consumer sovereignty,” and while some believe it to be a myth, in practice its presence is quite obvious.
Increasing demand for a product doesn’t necessarily mean emailing every phone company in the United States and voicing your desire for slimmer models; it’s our actions that speak for us. Over the past decade, as more Americans invest in iPhones and Androids with certain capabilities, it has become clear to these suppliers that we want something light but sturdy, a phone that accommodates certain apps and can access the Internet. As effective and coercive as product advertising can be, it’s our buying decisions that tell suppliers what’s profitable to create, and in the interest of revenue they respond accordingly.
Having the nicest phone, while important to some, is justifiably dwarfed by social issues that must be addressed. Environmental degradation, resource privatization and education reform are all concerns that are affected by the actions of politicians. Some veto legislation that would monitor a company’s amount of pollution and energy use, or lend power to corporations to privatize resources and sell them back to citizens at a higher price.
This was the case in New Haven, Wis. when Nestlé (under the brand name Perrier) bought rights to the water and tried to sell it back to residents for much more. The people of New Haven protested and boycotted the company; a short time later, Nestlé was thrown out of the state. The documentary “Blue Gold: World Water Wars” tells the story of Cochabamba, Bolivia’s privatization of water in 1997, leading to a 200 percent increase in water prices. Citizens protested for years until 2006, when the private water company Bechtel finally dropped the lawsuit.
Putting consumer sovereignty into practice not only allows us to reverse ineffective policies but also helps us establish legislation that safeguards what we value. Each of us, when we join together to voice our concerns, can make a positive change. Laws can be amended and corrupt politicians barred from re-election. We have the power to increase voter turnout and boycott corrupt businesses, and those actions speak so much louder than useless complaints against the government. It’s time we made ourselves heard.