Trade Associations and the Ftc

• Author: Honorable David A. Clanton
• Published date: 01 June 1977
• Date: 01 June 1977
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/0003603X7702200207
• Subject Matter: Article

TRADE

ASSOCIATIONS AND

THE

FTC

by

HONORABLE DAVID A. CLANTON*

It's a pleasure for me to participate in this Symposium on

Trade Association Law and Practice-even if it is your 13th

Symposium.

But rather than being a portent of adversity, I suspect

that

this 13th meeting is a successful milestone-because it tells us

something about your business. In a word, it's flourishing.

It

also tells us something about the growth of government.

Not surprisingly, the 13-year period during which these sym-

posiums have been held have witnessed a veritable explosion

of government programs and regulation. Indeed, this very

rapid growth of governmental action undoubtedly explains, in

part, the corresponding growth in the business of trade and

professionalassociations.

Today, it is estimated

that

there are more than 3,000 na-

tional trade, business, commercial and professional

associations-that's actually more organizations than there are

federal advisory committees-if you can believe that! And

there may be as many as 40,000 associations

at

the national,

state, regional and local levels combined.

Trade associations can be enormously helpful to their

memberships. They can expand and upgrade education and

consumer information programs, launch new research and

development programs, encourage ethical business practices

and communicate the viewpoint of business in the political

forum.

Be

that

as it may, the trade association often is not the

most widely loved institution outside the compass of its

*Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C.

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