Consumer sovereignty

In economics, consumer sovereignty is the assertion that consumer preferences determine the production of goods and services. The term was coined by William Harold Hutt in his book Economists and the Public (1936).

Overview

In a market economy, purchases of goods and services are evidence that demand for those items exists among those with liquid wealth. If potential sellers infer from these transactions that such demand will persist, then they may be motivated to provide the same goods in the future and to compete for future sales by attempting to offer such goods at competitive prices.

Some economists believe that consumer sovereignty rarely occurs, because these conditions are rarely met. Rarely do consumers get what they want; consumers get what they are offered. On the other hand, some economists believe that consumer sovereignty would be realized in a free market economy without interference from government or other non-market institutions.

See also

• Dollar voting
• Ethical consumerism
• Resource dependence theory

Further reading

• Joel Waldfogel - Does Consumer Irrationality Trump Consumer Sovereignty? 2004
• Campbell R. McConnell and Stanley L. Brue (1999, 14th ed.), Economics. McGraw-Hill