The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is responsible for protecting the American public from the risk of injury and death from 15,000 categories of consumer products. CPSC's mission is simple and non-partisan: saving lives and keeping families safe in their homes. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among persons under 35 years old, and are the fifth leading cause of death in the nation.

CPSC exemplifies smart government through the following principles:

o Using common sense to apply the law. . .smart government need not be inflexible;

o Promoting voluntary action through prompt and effective cooperation with industry. . .smart government need not be mandatory;

o Advising the public how to prevent injury and death from consumer products through guidelines. . .smart government action need not be regulatory;

o Establishing performance-based rather than design-based standards to give industry flexibility in choosing the most cost-effective method to meet mandatory regulations. . .smart government need not be rigid;

o Encouraging industry to use product safety as a marketing tool. . .smart government need not always be governmental.

The "Success Stories" in this booklet demonstrate how CPSC uses "smart government" to save lives and prevent injuries through: (1) working with industry to produce results; (2) building successful partnerships; (3) reshaping the gears of government; and (4) effective regulation. In just seven of these success stories, CPSC actions each year have saved an estimated 350 to 400 lives and prevented tens of thousands of injuries. The value to society is nearly $2 billion annually.

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