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Ralph Nader **Schooling:** Gilbert School, Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs (at Princeton University), Harvard Law School.


 * Occupations:** Attorney, author, lecturer, political activist (specifically a consumer activist), and four-time candidate for President of the United States.


 * Early Life/Drive:** “His parents played an important role in Ralph's intellectual development. From his childhood, the Nader family conducted family seminars where everyone sat around the table for discussion over topics such as law and justice. This activity helped Ralph in gaining deep understanding of sensitive issues right from his childhood. This activity helped Ralph in gaining deep understanding of sensitive issues right from his childhood” (Biography). His parents were immigrants from Lebanon and they owned a restaurant at one time. They were not extremely well off. The Nader’s would have been socially ranked as middle-class Americans. Nader was exposed to a lot of politics as a child. Nader was raised to believe in social justice. Brought up as the average consumer, Nader wanted to ensure that the government did their job correctly and protected consumers’ from corrupt companies and fraud. Nader found consumers to be extremely interested in consumer rights. He hoped that through him the public would make good use of the Freedom of Information Act (Bowen). Ralph Nader continues to help the normal American consumer by protecting them through government regulation of corporations and by offering them the information needed to make informed decisions when purchasing items.


 * Focus:** Ralph Nader’s major focus is on consumer rights, which entail protecting the consumer as well as helping consumers make better choices in their purchases. Nader has a “long history of pushing for reforms to make consumers safer” (Oct 2008). He was “instrumental in Consumer Product Safety Act and related laws” (Feb 2008). He believes that “help for ordinary people should replace corporate welfare” (Sep 2000). Nader hopes to “address corporate crimes” (Feb 2000) and that the government would stop treating corporations as people (Dec 1995) (Ralph). Nader also supports the Consumer Protection laws which allow the government to regulate corporations for the benefits of the consumer.

“Biography of Ralph Nader”. 2009. Buzzle. 19 December 2009 < http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/2-7-2005-65471.asp>.
 * Bibliography **

Bowen, Nancy. “Ralph Nader: Man with a Mission.” Twenty-First Century Books: U.S.: 2002. “Ralph Nader on Corporations” 7 December 2008. __OnTheIssues__. 22 December 2009 < [] >.