Political Science Perspectives on Consumer Responsibility

Consumers regularly make choices about specific products or services that have a range of consequences such as production conditions, environmental damage, or climate impacts. Responsible consumer decisions could therefore be politically desirable, raising the question of the role of responsibility in consumer policy. To systematically approach various facets of consumer responsibility, this chapter first deals with concepts of responsibility that may be relevant for consumer policy. On this basis, the chapter is dedicated to the concrete assumption of responsibility by the consumer, as this can ultimately lead to political action. It also focuses on consumer responsibility as an expectation for political decisions. The chapter concludes that even responsible consumers in complex consumer societies are dependent on support and provides arguments as to why government interventions in the market are still—or perhaps increasingly—necessary.