She was appointed to the newly created post of chief consumer advisor to Pennsylvania Governor Ray Shafer.

"[5] Her top assistant was a lawyer named Elizabeth Hanford, whom she introduced to her future husband, Bob Dole.

[5] In office, Knauer promoted recycling and nutritional labeling, unit pricing of groceries, and other consumer-friendly features.

She predicted that, because of domestic automakers' reluctance to install safety and environmental improvements, among other advances, foreign manufacturers would increase their share of the U.S. auto market.

[5] During the 1973–1975 recession, she recommended that households eat more "liver, kidney, brains, and heart" after stagflation caused meat prices to double.