ABSTRACT
MANIFESTATIONS of change in the political climate are often felt sharply in regulatory agencies, though during times like the present, participants and observers alike are perhaps more likely to wonder about the future rather than consult the past in plotting a course through “unknown” waters. The Federal Trade Commission is the agency principally entrusted with overseeing the advertising environs and remains a prime example of how historically important social, political, and legal elements reappear and exert influence until countervailed by opposing forces. The purpose of this chapter is to recount the evolution of this controversial organization with regard to its policies toward deceptive advertising.
