Blog
Bad Science: CDC Forced to Reverse its Recommendations on Salt
Mother may know best, but Uncle Sam certainly doesn’t. In 1977, the federal government put a warning label on saccharine, claiming it caused cancer. It…
Blog
The FTC’s Uneasy Relationship With Innovation
The Sherman and Clayton Acts form the backbone of U.S. antitrust policy. But another piece of legislation gives the government the power to regulate business…
Journal Star
EPA’s regional haze program costs Nebraska electric utilities millions
"Its real goal is to impose another costly regulation on electric utilities and force them to shut down their coal-fired generating units. Ultimately, all states…
United Liberty
New study details EPA’s regulatory incompetence
A new study authored by William Yeatman of the Competitive Enterprise Institute shows that the EPA is…
United Liberty
Should you worry about AT&T gobbling up Cricket?
But Fred Campbell, a former FCC staffer and an analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, disagrees. He contends that Leap’s business strategy, which focuses on…
News Release
CEI Challenges Cordray to Live Up to His Recess Appointment Claims
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 17, 2013 — Richard Cordray has been approved as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), 19 months after he was…
Forbes
Charles Dickens’ Ebenezer Scrooge Was The Ultimate Job Creator
There is probably no figure more emblematic of the greedy, penny-pinching capitalist than Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. Dickens is often seen…
Forbes
We Are Gathered Here Today To Witness The Burial Of The Protestant Work Ethic
Economic values do not spring from a vacuum. They are rooted in the broader moral values we rely on to navigate our lives. Let me…
Newsletter
CEI Weekly: New Study on EPA Incompetence
Blog
DC Super-Minimum Wage: Bad Idea, Bad Policy
Washington D.C. City Council’s bill that would require large retailers (namely Wal-Mart) to pay a super-minimum wage is not only bad public policy, but also…
Newsletter
CEI Today: CEI sues EPA, Senate vote on Cordray, and immigration & public opinion
Forbes
Internet Myth: Ronald Reagan Regretted Legalization
Americans often bolster arguments with quotes from Founding Fathers or other U.S. political icons. Unfortunately, this practice often leads to quotes being invented to support…
Blog
Obama’s BRAIN Initiative: Brilliant Policy or Brute Waste?
In April, President Obama announced a new BRAIN Initiative. Its stated goal is to “give scientists the tools they need to get a dynamic…
Blog
Gallup: Record Opposition to Closed Borders
A record number of Americans favor allowing more foreigners to enter and live in the United States each year. Nearly a quarter of Americans (23…
Legal Brief
CEI v. EPA – July 15 Complaint in McCarthy Phonebill Case
Full Document Available in PDF This is an action under the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), 5 U.S.C. § 552, to compel…
Newsletter
CEI Today: Napolitano resigns, Obamacare regs, and Apple anti-trust allegations
Blog
Unions Plead for Changes to Obamacare, Citing Lost Wages and Benefits
The Wall Street Journal reports today that the leaders of three major labor unions are asking Congress to make fundamental changes to Obamacare, saying that without such changes, it will…
Blog
CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week in Regulation
84 new regulations, from apartment building energy usage to when truckers have lunch.
Forbes
Anti-, pro-unionization efforts ramp up at Volkswagen
A labor project run by Matt Patterson, a senior fellow at the Washington D.C., nonprofit the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which advocates for “limited government,…
News Release
CEI Sues EPA For Gina McCarthy’s Text and Training Records
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 15, 2013 – The Competitive Enterprise Institute filed suit today in federal court to force the Environmental Protection Agency to…
The Gazette
EPA fails to meet deadlines
Ninety-eight percent of Environmental Protection Agency regulations for three core Clean Air Act programs were implemented late, according to a new study by William Yeatman…
Blog
The Apple E-Book Ruling and Antitrust Absurdity
A recent ruling against Apple over its e-book pricing policies highlights the absurdity of antitrust laws, as I point out in the Daily Caller:…
Blog
DHS Secretary Napolitano Resigns, TSA Body Scanner Scandal Remains Unresolved
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is resigning to become president of the University of California system. Republican politicians such as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)…
Blog
Redman v. Radio Shack
Redman v. Radio Shack Corp., No. 11-cv-06741 (N.D. Ill.) is a class action alleging a right to statutory recovery for Radio Shack’s practice of…
The Gazette
Powerful EPA fails to meet deadlines
Ninety-eight percent of Environmental Protection Agency regulations for three core Clean Air Act programs were implemented late, according to a new study by William Yeatman…
The Gazette
House farm bill sows seeds for bigger legislative fight
The Competitive Enterprise Institute said the bill “greatly expands the crop insurance subsidy program.” Some subsidies could become permanent, too, because the bill repeals laws…
Blog
CEI Podcast for July 11, 2013: Farm Bill Controversy
Adjunct Fellow Fran Smith breaks down the controversy surrounding this year's farm bill.
Blog
Scientists Warn of Dangers of “Precautionary Science”
Eighteen scientists recently weighed in on the unscientific and dangerous nature of the so-called “precautionary principle” in the July issue of the journal Food…
Blog
Senate Committee Passes ENDA, Which Would Lead to Meritless Litigation and Erode Free Speech
A Senate Committee has voted 15-to-7 to approve the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, "a bill that would prohibit employers from discriminating against workers on the basis…
Blog
Farm Bill Bloat Should Be Voted Down
Today, CEI sent a letter to the House of Representatives urging a vote against the farm bill, H.R. 2642. The letter pointed out that…
Letters
Letter to the U.S. House of Representatives on HR 2642, The FARRM Act
Dear Representative, The House is slated to vote on H.R. 2642, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (FARRM Act). This bloated…
Forbes
Why LeBron James Should Be Rooting Against ObamaCare
The sudden announcement of a one-year delay of the Obamacare employer mandate confirms the fear expressed even by the law’s supporters that implementation will be…
News Release
House Votes to Permanently Extend Taxpayer Fleecing in Farm Bill
Washington, D.C., July 11, 2013 – Today, the House of Representatives approved the 2013 Farm Bill on a mostly partisan vote of 216-208. No Democrats…
Blog
VMT Comes to Oregon
Since its inception, the Interstate Highway System has been universally revered for its scale and accessibility. But the primary funding mechanism which supports it, the…
Blog
SEC Finally Permits Free Speech for Hedge Funds, VCs, and Entrepreneurs
Today is finally the day that the Securities and Exchange Commission -- one year and three months after it was instructed to do so by…
Blog
Bioscience Buzzwords: Seductive Notion or a Way Forward?
Innovation- it’s the buzzword of the day. From President Obama’s State of the Union address to Foreign Policy’s latest cover story to initiatives to revive…
Blog
European Court Invalidates “Whole-Life” Sentences: Fuzzy International Norms Erode Sovereignty, Freedoms, and Safety
It's common to see supporters of U.S. ratification of international treaties claim that they will not radically uproot existing U.S. practices or freedoms, because their…
News Release
New Study: EPA’s Shocking Record of Failure on Statutory Deadlines Raises Serious Questions
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 10, 2013 — The Environmental Protection Agency has routinely failed to comply with statutory deadlines established for three core Clean Air Act…
News Release
CEI’s Berlau: “It’s About Time” SEC Permits Free Speech for Hedge Funds, VCs, and Entrepreneurs
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 10, 2013 — It took a year and three months after the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act was signed into law,…
Forbes
Enviros, lefty groups, free-marketeers team up against nuclear corporate welfare
Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Tex., has filed an amendment to kill this bailout. A handful of groups from the libertarian-leaning R Street and Competitive Enterprise Institute…
Forbes
Dodd-Frank, Obamacare And The Erosion Of The Rule Of Law
Just four months later, on July 21, 2010, Obama signed another monstrosity into law: the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, an 850-page bill that has generated…
Newsmax
Free Speech Trumps SEC Advertising Ban
Wednesday was finally the day that the Securities and Exchange Commission — one year and three months after it was instructed to do so by…
Blog
Is Agriculture Leadership Trying an End-Run?
Today, a coalition of 20 free-market and conservative groups, including CEI, sent a letter to Speaker of the House Boehner urging him to ensure…
Letters
Open Letter to Speaker Boehner
Full Document Available in PDF On behalf of the millions of members and supporters of the undersigned organizations, we write…
Blog
Another Reason to Love the Sequester: Budget Cuts Prevent Agency from Destroying Valuable Computer Equipment
An agency unnecessarily destroyed $170,000 worth of computing hardware, and planned to destroy $3 million more, in response to garden-variety, easy-to-guard-against malware that…
Forbes
Can Post-Constitutional America Recover Its Freedom And Prosperity?
It is by now undeniable that our Constitution is being unwound at an accelerating rate. With the wave of a blog post, the President of…
Blog
Austerity Means Cuts, Not More Spending
Despite its frequent use through the media and in political debate, few journalists and politicians actually use the term “austerity” correctly. But Cypriot Finance Minister…
Study
EPA’s Woeful Deadline Performance Raises Questions About Agency Competence, Climate Change Regulations, “Sue and Settle”
Full Document Available in PDF The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) record of compliance with statutory deadlines established for three core Clean Air…
Blog
Regulation Causes Inflation
Over at the American Spectator, I show why an unintentional and unavoidable side effect of regulation is inflation:…
Newsletter
CEI Today: Nat’l Labor Relations Act, protesting the NSA, and EPA abuse of power
Blog
Going Nowhere: Transit Workers’ Strike Immobilizes City
After scouring travel sites for hours, I finally found a great deal—the flight would land at the Oakland Airport (OAK) in the San Francisco Bay…
Blog
Obama Administration Discards Reporting Requirements in Obamacare
The Obama administration has illegally discarded the reporting requirements mandated by the 2010 healthcare law, which were designed to prevent countless billions of…
Forbes
E-Verify Exposes The Hypocrisy In Republican Free Market Rhetoric
After he introduced the Regulatory Accountability Act, Rep. Lamar Smith summarized the GOP attitude on regulation since the Tea Party movement’s influential rise. “Employers across…
Washington Times
Approaching economic stall speed
Government regulations not justified on a cost-benefit basis, plus the cumulative weight of all regulations, result in a dead-weight loss to an economy. The United…
Washington Times
Beware the Myth of European Austerity
Beware the Myth of European Austerity “France’s Austerity Drive Pushes Country into Recession.” “How Austerity Has Failed.” Thus proclaim two recent, typical…
Washington Times
Europe’s lessons on austerity success
With the U.S. national debt about to pass the $17 trillion mark – more than America’s total economic activity in 2012 – and federal interest…
Washington Times
Should Online Gambling Be Legalized?
Blog
Beauty and the Beast: Agriculture for the Future
It’s a tale as old as time. How will we feed all the people on this planet of ours, especially with the global population set…
Blog
After 78 Years the NLRA Needs a Makeover
Last week marked the seventy-eighth anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt signing the National Labor Relations Act into law. In that time, it has become clear…
Blog
CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week in Regulation
78 new regulations, from energy efficiency standards for imports to the California Desert Grape Administrative Committee.
Washington Examiner
What happens in the backroom of a sue-and-settle lawsuit?
William Yeatman of the Competitive Enterprise Institute discovered the details after a Freedom of Information Act request produced 659 pages of EPA emails.
Newsletter
CEI Today: CBO immigration analysis, a tax on stock trades, and EPA assault on state sovereignty
The American Spectator
EPA Growth Knows No Limits
This op-ed was co-written by Todd Wynn at the American Legislative Exchange Council. Last week, President Obama rolled out a climate plan fit…
Capital Reseach
‘Sue and Settle’: Secret backroom deals by bureaucrats and environmentalists hurt the American economy
A recent Chamber of Commerce report by William Yeatman concluded that the sue-and-settle practice is responsible for many of the EPA’s “most controversial, economically significant…
Blog
CEI Podcast for July 3, 2013: The EPA’s Assault on State Sovereignty
William Yeatman discusses his new study, "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Assault on State Sovereignty."…
Blog
New York State Bureaucrats Block Lyme Disease Control
As Americans gather outdoors to celebrate the 4th of July, ticks are also out — and in record numbers — particularly in certain places…
Newsletter
CEI Today: Lack of liberty on Independence Day, EPA vs. mining, and West Nile Virus
Blog
Terrible Ideas that Don’t Die: National Infrastructure Bank Edition
Last Tuesday, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced a bill to create a government-owned corporation that would finance infrastructure projects, otherwise known as a national infrastructure…
The Washington Times
EDITORIAL: Obamacare’s fatal flaw
Michael Carvin, who argued the Supreme Court’s Obamacare cases last year, is working with the Competitive Enterprise Institute to reverse the agency’s decision. “The…
News Release
CBO Estimate Shows Benefits and Need for Real Reform
News Release
CBO Estimate Shows Benefits and Need for Real Reform
News Release
CEI Expert to Speak at ‘Restore the Fourth’ Rally Tomorrow
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 3, 2013 – Ryan Radia, Associate Director of CEI’s Center for Technology & Innovation, will speak at tomorrow’s Restore the…
Blog
Tracking the Cultural Exception, Part Two: Exempt from Success
Arguments for cultural exemptions in free trade agreements seem simple -- allow for continued protection for domestic movie/entertainment industries to bolster their viability. But do…
Forbes
The Great Obamacare Intergenerational Swindle
In the sci-fi thriller The Hunger Games, a group of young people are made to compete against each other in a fight for survival. Post-Constitutional America…
Blog
Uncertainty and New Regulatory Burdens Hinder Recovery
Since 2011, the Obama administration’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has been reviewing significantly fewer rules than in prior years and taking longer…
Blog
Her Majesty’s Initiative: Innovation for All?
On Monday, the Financial Times published an editorial praising the United Kingdom’s government for its “provisional approval” of a new in vitro fertilization (IVF)…
Blog
Supreme Court to Hear Case on Union “Neutrality”
The Supreme Court’s decision to hear a challenge to President Obama’s “recess” appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, which he made while the…
Blog
CEI Podcast for July 2, 2013: The True Story of European Austerity
A new study by Warren Brookes Fellow Matthew Melchiorre finds that only 4 European countries out of 27 have actually cut taxes and spending.
Blog
Taxpayers Fund IRS Employees’ Representation When Audited
By now, everyone is familiar with the IRS illegally targeting limited-government organizations that applied for non-profit status.
Blog
New Study Dispels Myths of European Austerity
Cries throughout the media of “savage austerity” notwithstanding, only a handful of European countries have actually implemented austerity in the true sense of the term:…
News Release
Massive Public Opposition to EPA’s Bristol Bay Study
WASHINGTON, D.C. July 2, 2013 – A record number of Americans have rejected the EPA’s Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment, the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Resourceful…
Forbes
Who Made Government Big? We Did
After U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced recently that the Fed would reduce its asset purchases through mid-2014, financial industry players and the journalists…
Forbes
On Independence Day — How Free Are You, Really?
As reported in Reason by Ronald Bailey, a recent study finds that “Federal Regulations Have Made You 75 percent Poorer.” The claim is that GDP…
Forbes
July Zeitgeist
Forbes
On Independence Day — How Free Are You, Really?
As reported in Reason by Ronald Bailey, a recent study finds that “Federal Regulations Have Made You 75 percent Poorer.” The claim is that GDP…
Blog
Bay Area Commuters at the Mercy of Transit Workers
Another week, another reminder that state and local governments are held hostage by their own employees. After a weekend of negotiations failed to yield an…
Blog
Thanks to Students for Liberty at UTC!
WorkplaceChoice would like to thank Students for Liberty at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga for joining the “Save Chattanooga” campaign.
Blog
French Cheese Ban: An Attack on “Scientific Principles” in Violation of Treaties Protecting International Trade?
Earlier, we wrote about the U.S. government's de facto ban on the commonplace, perfectly healthy, normal-smelling French cheese mimolette (which I once confused with…
Blog
Zoning, Property Rights, and the Myth of Benevolent Planners
Dartmouth economics professor Bill Fischel has posted “Fiscal Zoning and Economists’ Views of the Property Tax,” which will be a chapter in a revised…
Blog
CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week in Regulation
80 new regulations, from school lunches to the legal definition of “ski area.”…
Forbes
The zero sum rightwing
Anti-immigrant voices on the right should make up their minds: Do they believe in free markets — in freedom itself — or not? If not,…
Forbes
This Week in Small Business: Half-Time Report
Red Tape Pete Wise listed five legal myths small-business owners should avoid, including this one: “I don’t need a lawyer.” And David Bier explained…
Cato
Banning Fancy French Cheese
I’m no cheese connoisseur. . .But I understand that some people have more refined tastes, and they feel very strongly about the issue. And they…
Blog
Another Federal Appeals Court Rules against Obama Administration’s Contraceptive Mandate
Contraceptives are easy to obtain, and forcing employers to include a broad array of contraceptives in employee health insurance makes as little sense as forcing…
Blog
What the Senate Immigration Bill Got Right
The Senate’s passage of its immigration reform bill is a meaningful victory for free markets. Free markets ought to extend beyond borders. As has been…
Blog
The Plot Thickens: Mystery Trip to Germany for Chattanooga City Officials
Earlier this month, Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke and Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger skipped the Mayor’s Industry Appreciation Breakfast in order to meet with…
Cato
UAW ate Detroit: Chattanooga could be its next meal
Co-written by Research Associate Julia Tavlas. Will Chattanooga’s Volkswagen plant expand and hire more workers? That’s what Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger and City Mayor…
American's for Prosperity
The EPA’s Assault on State Sovereignty
Click here to read the new report.
News Release
CEI’s Labor Project Launches Educational Campaign in Chattanooga About United Auto Workers Union
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 28, 2013 — CEI Senior Fellow and Labor Project Director Matt Patterson has begun a summer-long campaign to educate business leaders,…
News Release
European Austerity That Isn’t – What’s Worked, What Hasn’t
Washington, D.C., June 28, 2013 – Most European countries have cut neither spending nor taxes. But European governments that have cut both spending and taxes…