Richard Morrison is a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, where his work focuses on the relationship between economic and political freedom. He has been widely cited for his research on corporate governance and finance regulation, in particular environmental, social, and governance (ESG) theory. He is also the host of the Free the Economy podcast.
He was previously a senior editor at CEI and managing editor of the blog OpenMarket. He also served as the program manager of CEI’s Center for Advancing Capitalism, where he coordinated outreach to the business community, universities, and other key allies. Before re-joining CEI in 2014, he was manager of communications at the Tax Foundation, where he was also the host and producer of the weekly Tax Policy Podcast. Prior to that he served as CEI’s director of media relations and director of new media between 1999 and 2010, during which he hosted the podcast Liberty Week.
He received his Bachelor of Arts in Government from Claremont McKenna College.
Authored by Richard Morrison
News
SEC’s climate disclosure rule is redundant and vulnerable to legal challenge
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released its final climate disclosure rule today, mandating public companies disclose information related to greenhouse gas emissions. The…
Leftwing conspiracy theories about 1971 “Powell memo” debunked in new CEI report
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report debunks a leftwing conspiracy theory that free market interests seek a “corporate domination of America” (as Greenpeace put…
Biden Veto Means ESG Investment Rule Means Politicized Investing for Pensions
President Biden today vetoed a resolution passed by Congress that would have stopped a Labor Department rule on ESG investing. Specifically, the rule, “Prudence and…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Debt and taxes with Jack Salmon
- By: Richard Morrison
In this week’s episode we cover the death of ESG investing, next moves on regulatory reform, Wall Street enthusiasm for a…
Free the Economy podcast: Nuclear renaissance with Nick Loris
- By: Richard Morrison
In this week’s episode we cover a new vision for the Securities and Exchange Commission, affordable housing in Hong Kong, and how…
Free the Economy podcast: Understanding the national debt with Thomas Savidge
- By: Richard Morrison
In this week’s episode we cover whether Americans feel better off than they were four years ago, why we have more billion-dollar…
Op-Eds/Articles
National Review
How Partisan Bureaucrats Weaponized Financial Regulation
- By: Richard Morrison
The main goal of financial regulation in the United States is supposed to be the protection of consumers, investors, and their businesses from deception and fraud.
National Review
SEC’s Climate Rule Is Finally Here, but for How Long?
- By: Richard Morrison
The day many observers of financial regulation have long been awaiting (and dreading) has come. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted last week to approve its final rule on…
National Review
Mass Transit: Preferred over Cars, Except When It Isn’t
- By: Richard Morrison
For decades, environmentalists and urban planners have been on a mission to get Americans out of their cars and on to buses, light rail, commuter trains,…
Studies
Threats Then and Threats Now
Executive summary In 1971 Lewis Powell, a prominent Republican lawyer who would go on to serve on the Supreme Court, wrote a memo warning about…
The SEC’s Costly Power Grab
- By: Richard Morrison
The concept known as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing has gained an increasingly high profile in recent years, with advocates producing a large volume…
Frequently Asked Questions on ESG Theory
- By: Richard Morrison
View Full Document as PDF Q: What does “ESG” stand for? A: ESG is short for “environmental, social, and governance.” It is a…
Citations
Big Business Took A Beating From Conservatives Over Woke Marketing In 2023, But Did It Change Anything?
- By: Richard Morrison
CEI’s Richard Morrison is cited in Daily Caller on ‘woke marketing:’ “Regardless of what InBev’s senior management or board members believe in their hearts about…
The Hill
The rise and fall of ESG investing
- By: Richard Morrison
The Hill cites CEI’s Richard Morrison on ESG investing: In response, influential free-market groups such as the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, the …
Ballotpedia
A look ahead at ESG in 2023
- By: Richard Morrison
Competitive Enterprise Institute senior fellow predicts larger government role in shaping ESG policies. Other 2023 forecast pieces have made predictions based not just on calendar…
Regulatory Comments
CEI Comment on SEC ‘Investment Company Names’ Rule
- By: Richard Morrison
Introduction The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is pleased to have the opportunity to comment on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) current notice of proposed…
CEI Comments to SEC on Proposed Climate-Related Disclosures Rule
- By: Richard Morrison
Comment letter submitted by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, et al. June 2022 In the matter of the proposed rule “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related…
Comment on Proposed Rule “Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights”
- By: Richard Morrison
Assistant Secretary Khawar: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Employee Benefits Security Administration’s recently proposed rule on the Investment Duties regulation under…
Podcast Episodes
Debt and Taxes with Jack Salmon
- By: Richard Morrison
This week we cover the death of ESG investing, next moves on regulatory reform, Wall Street enthusiasm for a new administration, and Saudi Arabia’s new...
Nuclear Renaissance with Nick Loris
- By: Richard Morrison
This week we cover a new vision for the Securities and Exchange Commission, affordable housing in Hong Kong, and how Millennials are killing it financially....
Understanding the National Debt with Thomas Savidge
- By: Richard Morrison
This week we cover whether Americans feel better off than they were four years ago, why we have more billion-dollar natural disasters than we used...