Business Issue with Competing Pressures:  Based on what you see in the three videos, identify a specific issue with competing pressures.  How is a business issue influenced by a social concern? 

Because of the concern of preserving time honored processes of creating Parmigiano Reggiano, there are organizations dedicated to keeping large companies from flooding the market with their own parmigiano Reggiano of lesser quality.  A large aspect of why the cheese is so valued and marketable is the fact that it goes through a strenuous process to even make it to stores.  These processes ensure that only the cheeses of the highest quality make it to the public market.  Because of the interest of preservation of the artisan methods, Kraft is forced to change the name of their cheese in Europe in order to avoid confusing the consumers.  The program both celebrates the craftsmanship needed to make quality Parmigiano Reggiano, as well as keeping imitation products from having the same name and status.

Rationales For and Against Regulation: Based on the issue you have selected, make one statement for government regulation to address the issue (rationale for regulation) and one statement for minimal regulation/the free market to address the issue (rationale against regulation):

The government should be able to regulate this market because the products are different but share the same name.  Kraft’s cheese does not undergo the series of tests and techniques in making parmigiano Reggiano, but in America they share the same name.  Allowing the two products to share the same name is a slap in the face to the cheese makers because they put much more effort and focus into their product than Kraft.  However, one could say that Kraft should be able to sell their cheese under the same name.  They are cheeses that are close in comparison, but Kraft’s is much more cheaply made.  Even though Kraft’s is of a lesser quality, they should both be able to sell with the same name.  It is at this point the consumer’s decision to choose which one is higher quality and ultimately which one they purchase.

Other Examples Like This?:  Based on the competing pressures you see in this video, identify another issue that has an ongoing debate among people who argue for government regulation to address the issue versus those who argue that the free market should address the issue.

The e-cigarette and vape market is one that is hotly debated when it comes to regulation.  Some feel that the government should step in and place regulations on the market, like banning certain products or raising the purchasing age.  Because e-cigarettes and vapes come in fruity flavors that younger audiences enjoy, some feel that the government should step in to prevent the mass amounts of teenagers from purchasing them.  Others feel that it is not the government’s job to do this and place the blame either on the companies that sell them or on the consumer.  Only at age 18 are people able to purchase these products, so the market is already regulated in a sense.  It is up to the particular stores to enforce this rule and it can be hard when people have fake IDs.