Ramtin Arablouei

So if you're feeling skeptical, we get it. But bear with us, because before Ralph Nader was infamous, he was famous.

So if you're feeling skeptical, we get it. But bear with us, because before Ralph Nader was infamous, he was famous.

So if you're feeling skeptical, we get it. But bear with us, because before Ralph Nader was infamous, he was famous.

the right to clean drinking water, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, whistleblower protections, the Freedom of Information Act, and more. Nader was instrumental in all of them.

the right to clean drinking water, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, whistleblower protections, the Freedom of Information Act, and more. Nader was instrumental in all of them.

the right to clean drinking water, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, whistleblower protections, the Freedom of Information Act, and more. Nader was instrumental in all of them.

His activism and efforts spurred the modern consumer movement, a movement fueled by the idea that public citizens, consumers, people like you and me, can and should hold governments and corporations accountable to our needs.

His activism and efforts spurred the modern consumer movement, a movement fueled by the idea that public citizens, consumers, people like you and me, can and should hold governments and corporations accountable to our needs.

His activism and efforts spurred the modern consumer movement, a movement fueled by the idea that public citizens, consumers, people like you and me, can and should hold governments and corporations accountable to our needs.

And I'm Ramtin Arablui. Today on the show, the story of consumer activism in the U.S. and what we can learn from Ralph Nader's wins and losses.

And I'm Ramtin Arablui. Today on the show, the story of consumer activism in the U.S. and what we can learn from Ralph Nader's wins and losses.

And I'm Ramtin Arablui. Today on the show, the story of consumer activism in the U.S. and what we can learn from Ralph Nader's wins and losses.

As glamorous as that may sound, solving the mystery of these grisly car crash deaths mostly involved a lot of reading of very wonky documents. And I mean a lot. Nader sifted through court documents and case law. He dug into a whole series of research studies from Cornell Medical College, funded by Ford, Chrysler, and the Pentagon, that looked into what could make cars safer.

As glamorous as that may sound, solving the mystery of these grisly car crash deaths mostly involved a lot of reading of very wonky documents. And I mean a lot. Nader sifted through court documents and case law. He dug into a whole series of research studies from Cornell Medical College, funded by Ford, Chrysler, and the Pentagon, that looked into what could make cars safer.

As glamorous as that may sound, solving the mystery of these grisly car crash deaths mostly involved a lot of reading of very wonky documents. And I mean a lot. Nader sifted through court documents and case law. He dug into a whole series of research studies from Cornell Medical College, funded by Ford, Chrysler, and the Pentagon, that looked into what could make cars safer.

This is a CBS report about that research.

This is a CBS report about that research.

This is a CBS report about that research.

Like any good detective, Nader even pounded the pavement. What he found was that the auto industry knew that it was cars themselves that were unsafe. Doctors and researchers had repeatedly recommended features to add to the cars to make them safe. Seatbelts, padded dash panels, rollover bars. But the carmakers often shied away from putting these features into cars on the market.

Like any good detective, Nader even pounded the pavement. What he found was that the auto industry knew that it was cars themselves that were unsafe. Doctors and researchers had repeatedly recommended features to add to the cars to make them safe. Seatbelts, padded dash panels, rollover bars. But the carmakers often shied away from putting these features into cars on the market.