Blog
Minimum lot sizes, maximum costs
When Americans think about the housing affordability debate, they tend to picture cranes, lumber prices, or mortgage interest rates. It is certainly important to focus…
Blog
The market has spoken: Consumers define the relevant video market
Washington loves drama, and recent debates over video industry consolidation have delivered plenty – billions of dollars at stake, congressional theatrics, and political posturing. But…
News Release
Environmental problems deserve free market solutions: Our Words
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute is pleased to publish CEI President Kent Lassman’s lecture entitled The Environment, the Law, Markets, and the Path…
Open Market Blog
Pardon me boys, is this the Special Interest Express?
The Washington Post published a smart editorial on Monday on why the proposed Railway Safety Act is a bad idea. The legislation is…
No free lunch: Price controls won’t make groceries more affordable
When Americans go to the grocery store, they expect to find food and drinks. Lately, many are encountering something else: sticker shock. According to…
Happy birthday to the Wealth of Nations – and to CEI
Today is the 250th anniversary of the publication of perhaps the seminal work of economics, Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of…
News
White House wrong to push Railway Safety Act
The White House is reportedly urging lawmakers to include new restrictions on freight rail operations in upcoming infrastructure or transportation legislation. CEI policy experts…
CEI celebrates important free market leaders and anniversaries: Our Words
Today, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations and the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s 42nd birthday, CEI is proud to…
21st Century Worker Act Aims to End Worker Classification Confusion
Today, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the 21st Century Worker Act, a much needed practical step to clear up persistent confusion surrounding worker classification under…
Special Projects
Dear Mr. President: The Letters of Julia Sand
Discover how one citizen motivated the President of the United States to throw supporters of the spoils system out of his sphere of influence and lead Congress to pass Civil Service Reform, ultimately bringing an end to the corrupt bureaucratic system that had made him. Coming April 2025.
Modernizing the EPA
Modernizing the EPA: A Blueprint for Congress is a major CEI project to reform the EPA and ensure that the agency regulates like it is 2025, not 1975. The first part of the Project is our book that lays out specific and concrete recommendations for legislators on how to modernize the agency. The next step is turning these ideas into legislative change. We hope you will join us in this effort.
Eye on FTC
The Federal Trade Commission is harming consumers and threatening innovation. CEI's new 'Eye on FTC' project spotlights the agencies overreach to help inform legislators, and, ultimately, to restore the agency’s core mission of protecting consumer welfare.
The Case for Small and Big Business in America
There’s growing sentiment in Washington that the size of a business alone might be a sign of danger—whether to its smaller competitors or consumers. This has pushed Congress and federal agencies to use antitrust policy to prevent mergers and acquisitions. However, this approach overlooks consumers and leaves unclear what qualifies as “too big.” Our latest video explains why our economy thrives and consumers benefit from both small and big businesses.
The Unconstitutionality Index
For decades, CEI has analyzed the expanding reach of unelected bureaucrats. Now, the Unconstitutionality Index—a concept pioneered by CEI scholar Wayne Crews—is shaping conversations at the highest levels of government.
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National Review
President Reagan’s argument that these regulations are unnecessary and harmful to consumers has proven to be prescient.
They’re the regulations that literally hit home, and rarely in a good way. The Department of Energy sets energy efficiency standards for just…
Issues and Insights
Who’s The Biggest Monopolist Of All? (Hint: It’s Not A Corporation)
Policymakers often argue over whether capitalism works and how aggressively it should be restrained. But they rarely ask the more pertinent question: where, exactly, does…
The Daily Economy
‘Violent Saviors’: William Easterly’s Book on Imperialism and Conquest
While framed as a book about economic development theory and the history of colonialism, William Easterly’s latest tome is actually something grander and more ambitious:…
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