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When laws are passed to protect the candle makers, coat makers, and tree workers from competition, then consumers have to pay more than what they otherwise would.
[JONATHAN GULLIBLE: A Free Market Odyssey, Ken Scholland, Chapter 5]
I don't know why the author put the word "otherwise" there. I can't get it. Could you explain it to me?
Many thanks
When laws are passed to protect the candle makers, coat makers, and tree workers from competition, then consumers have to pay more than what they otherwise would.
What this sentence means is that when competition is suppressed, prices go up.
'What they otherwise would (pay)' means what consumers would pay if there is no suppression of competition.
The 'then' in the example should be removed, as:
When laws are passed to protect the candle makers, coat makers, and tree workers from competition, consumers have to pay more than what they otherwise would.
