7 - Challenging Barriers

Summary

The final chapter concludes by first re-outlining the book’s central arguments. The chapter then revisits how the preceding chapters help shed new theoretical light on the source of regulatory barriers while also answering several empirical puzzles, including why similar risks frequently receive dissimilar regulatory treatment, why some nations impose more precautionary regulatory rules than others, and finally what is behind some of the most contentious agricultural trade barriers. Finally, the chapter explores the ethical implications of the book’s central findings and offers several concrete policy recommendations for addressing both the broader information asymmetry problems outlined in the book and the resulting biases that were identified.