ANSI Releases New Edition of Overview of the U.S. Standardization System Booklet

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is pleased to release the third edition of its Overview of the U.S. Standardization System. This booklet provides a high-level overview of our nation's voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment activities and is freely available to the public as an educational resource.

Overview of the U.S. Standardization System, updated as the third edition in 2010, is one of several informational brochures published by ANSI. It is a sister document to the United States Standards Strategy and the National Conformity Assessment Principles for the United States.

The booklet explains the decentralized, demand-driven, and voluntary nature of the U.S. standards and conformance system. The history of standards and conformity assessment, as well as the strong impact that they have on the innovation of products, services, and systems in the U.S., are highlighted.

Readers will find information broken down into several sections:

• Background
• A Reflection of American Values
• Strength Through History
• Harmonizing U.S. Government and Private-Sector Activities
• The Global Stage
• Examining Conformity Assessment
• Conclusion

To download Overview of the U.S. Standardization System, click here. For paper copies, send an email to Meg Cooper, communications assistant/journalist, at mcooper@ansi.org.