Q1. [2] medium thorough-understanding
The principle of 'caveat emptor' once governed market transactions. How did the organised consumer movement challenge this principle, and what shift in responsibility between buyers, sellers, and the state did it bring about?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:29 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Caveat emptor means "let the buyer beware" — it placed full responsibility on consumers to assess goods before purchase, freeing sellers of accountability.
The organised consumer movement challenged this by exposing unfair trade practices and pressuring businesses and the government. This shifted responsibility of ensuring quality of goods and services onto the sellers, and led the state to enact legal protection (e.g., COPRA 1986).
Source: Consumer Movement, Chapter 5
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Explanation
- "Caveat emptor" isn't a term from the passage, but the passage clearly describes the principle — examiners expect you to link the idea of "buyer's responsibility" to the shift the movement caused.
- The key phrase from the passage to quote/paraphrase: "This has also shifted the responsibility of ensuring quality of goods and services on the sellers."
- Mention COPRA as evidence of state intervention — it shows all three actors (buyer, seller, state) and completes the answer neatly within the word limit.