Comment on FTC Strategic Plan 2014-2018

This comment on the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) draft Strategic Plan FY 2014-FY 2018 addresses two areas that the Commission should consider. First, the Commission should integrate economic analysis into its consumer protection mission to the same degree that it has into its competition mission. Such integration will aid the Commission in allocating resources in the manner that maximizes consumer benefits. Second, the FTC should include countervailing negative impacts on consumers – through, for example, adverse effects on competition, reductions in marketplace information, or reduced incentives to innovate – when setting priorities for, and assessing the performance of, its consumer protection mission