Featured Posts
RealClear
Trump’s Going Places With Energy, but Biden’s the Backseat Driver
RealClear cited CEI’s experts on the Inflation Reduction Act “The (Inflation Reduction Act) subsidies help to create constituencies that are going to fight hard to…
Forbes
Shutdowns Aren’t The Problem, They’re The Solution
Federal shutdowns—along with the debt limit like that the Republicans sought to extend in the American Relief Act (ARA)—may represent the last remaining…
Blog
Time to downsize presidential power
Over at InsideSources, I have a syndicated column arguing that the presidency has grown too powerful. The best parting gift President Biden could give…
Search Posts
Blog
Through the Looking Glass: Washington Gets Curiouser and Curiouser
The following remarks were delivered by CEI President Kent Lassman at CEI’s Annual Dinner and Reception held on June 7, 2017. Thank you. Despite her…
Blog
Capitalism for the Little Guy
One of the single greatest achievements in human history has been playing out almost unnoticed over the past few decades.
Blog
Remembering Aaron Wildavsky
Aaron Wildavsky, born on this day in 1930, died tragically and all too young in 1993, but left behind an incredible legacy in the public policy…
News Release
CEI Reviews Trump Budget on Regulation, EPA, Transportation and Infrastructure
Policy experts offered their first takes on President Trump's budget, with a focus on regulatory reform, the EPA, and transportation and infrastructure reforms.
Blog
Cheers to Whiskey, the ‘Oil of Conversation’
Whiskey culture is characteristically welcoming, with whiskey makers and aficionados ever eager to share a dram and a story.
Blog
Center for American Progress’ Make-Work Scheme Needs Details
A debate over income inequality and job growth is worth having.
The Hill
Congress Must Put an End to Online Taxation Without Representation
The recent reintroduction of the misnamed Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA) is the latest in the effort to expand taxes on internet sales. Proponents of taxing…
Blog
The Politics of Children’s Literature
Liberty-loving individuals with children in their lives should take a second look at what’s on the shelf.
Blog
Learn Liberty on Capitalism and Liberation
Learn Liberty’s recent video, featuring historian Thaddeus Russell, highlights how capitalism created an environment where women were increasingly free to make their own decisions and…
Forbes
New Trump Executive Order Seeks To Boost Agriculture And Rural America
“My farmer died.” —Punchline to the old joke about why a USDA employee is weeping at his desk The ratio of number of farmers…
Forbes
The March For Science Should Demand Separation of Science And State
My second youngest son wanted to head downtown to D.C. for the March for Science. I had to explain to him that’s not quite…
Blog
Archbridge Institute Releases Optimistic New Research on Economic Mobility
The best way to encourage more economic mobility is to foster a cultural and regulatory environment where innovation, openness, and change are encouraged.
Blog
How Payday Lenders & Check Cashers Help the Poor
Our friends at Reason TV have another fascinating video out on the ethics and politics of short-term financial services like payday lending and check cashing.
Los Angeles Times
Let Richard Branson Kill United Airlines
Los Angeles Times highlights Marc Scribner’s comments on how government policy has lead to poor airline service. Yes, airlines on the continent come…
Blog
White House Should Drop Support for Cronyism of Export-Import Bank
With the Trump administration’s early emphasis on deregulation, there was hope that cronyist agencies such as the Export-Import Bank, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and Economic…
The Huffington Post
Resisting Executive Excess Means Relearning Lessons from the Past
Defenders of checks and balances should be happy that a circuit split on President Trump’s executive order on immigration means that the Supreme…
InsideSources
Trump’s Budget Targets Agency That Helps Foreign Workers
InsideSources discusses President Trump’s proposed budget with Iain Murray. “President Trump’s proposed budget is the clearest sign yet that he is moving…
Blog
Restraint, Humility Needed at Federal Trade Commission
As President Trump evaluates candidates to chair the Federal Trade Commission, he should look for a person who appreciates the importance of letting markets evolve…
News Release
CEI Calls Trump Budget Clearest Sign Yet of Move to Shrink Federal Government
"“The President's budget proposal is just the starting point. Congress has a responsibility to the American taxpayer to demand value for the taxpayer dollars spent…
The Conservative Online
Market Institutions Never Evolved For The Environment; And That’s Why It Can’t Be Properly Protected
As Joseph Schumpeter noted, free markets had a good first century (the 1750s to 1850s). A market economy produced massive improvements in the quality of…
Blog
On Tour with U.S. Chamber’s ‘Let’s Grow’ Campaign
While the policy landscape is far from perfect, we have the best opportunity in a long time to clear the field for growth and prosperity…
Washington Post
Last night, conservatives gave up on conservatism
The Washington Post discusses President Trump’s policy proposals from his address to a joint session of Congress with CEI President Kent Lassman. The…
Blog
Low-Cost Private Schools a Success for Developing World Families
Education reform advocates in the United States have a lot to learn from low-cost private schools in the world's poorest communities.
Blog
“I, Whiskey” Screens at the Oxford Film Festival
Richard Morrison and Amanda France recently presented the CEI film "I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit" at the Oxford Film Festival.
The Wall Street Journal
Letter to the Editor: Both Parties Have Many With Trump Trauma
Over a year ago, Paul Krugman coined the term “Trumpenfreude,” meaning the glee or satisfaction experienced by Democrats watching the Republican Party slit its own…
Blog
Celebrate Hans Rosling’s Fact-Based Optimism about Our World
Fans of free markets and limited government were often especially disposed admire Hans Rosling, given his relentless debunking of scare stories that are often used…
Blog
Companies Make a Play for Hearts and Minds with Super Bowl Ads
Corporations are in trouble – people see more bad than good in corporate America, even though they may like and enjoy their products.
Blog
Deregulate to Speed Recovery from ‘Creative Destruction’ of Trade and Innovation
Government regulation limits the ability of individuals and businesses to recover from normal economic setbacks.
Blog
The Super Bowl: Not Just for Football Fans
The Super Bowl is perennially one of the most-watched TV events around the world, so it’s no surprise that millions of people find reasons to…
Blog
Harry Potter and the City Council Chambers
The MacIver Institute documents the temptation of local governments to spend taxpayer money on “economic development” projects and tourist events.
Blog
Burns Night Cheers
Tonight, friends at home and abroad gather both for Burns Night and the International I, Whiskey Watch Party to salute the individuals— freedom fighters, innovators,…
Blog
Learn Liberty Asks: Are Millennials Actually Lazy?
Jared Meyer, discusses his book "Disinherited: How Washington Is Betraying America’s Young" with Learn Liberty’s Evan Swarztrauber.
Blog
Where Have All the Startups Gone? New Research from eBay and EIG
Recently eBay’s public policy team here in Washington, D.C. presented a fascinating program on economic growth and new business start-ups.
Blog
‘I, Whiskey’ Honored at Southern Shorts Film Festival
At the Southern Shorts Awards in Roswell, Georgia last weekend, I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit made its big screen debut as one of the top…
Blog
“I, Whiskey” on the Festival Circuit
This weekend the producers of the CEI film "I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit" will be in Roswell, Georgia for the Southern Shorts Film Festival and Awards Presentation…
Blog
Chamber of Commerce CEO Lays Out 2017 Agenda
U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue gave his annual “State of American Business Address” to a packed hall at the Chamber’s H…
Blog
A Federal Gift Clause Could Help ‘Drain the Swamp’
If President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are serious about coming through on the campaign promise to “drain the swamp,” it would serve them…
Forbes
Trump Must Take On The Cronyism Challenge
For President-elect Donald Trump to deliver on his “make American great again,” promise, economic growth must again exceed today’s anemic rate. Reforming tax policy, reducing…
Foundation for Economic Education
Lower Costs, Not Regulations, Will Save the Environment
I have a long bus commute to work in Washington DC. Most mornings I am engrossed in reading the latest news or a scholarly article,…
Blog
Join the ‘I, Whiskey’ International Watch Party
After a successful Virtual Watch Party campaign focused on fans in the United States, we’ve now launched an International Watch Party for our friends around…
Daily Caller
Activists Urge Trump To Stop Obama’s Anti-Business ‘Midnight Litigation’
The Daily Caller reports on a letter CEI and other organizations sent to Mike Pence. Obama’s agencies are poised to file economy-stunting environmental…
News Release
GM’s Deceptive Advertising: Company First Claimed It Repaid Bailout Money, Now Admits It Didn’t
Washington, D.C., September 20, 2010 – Contrary to claims by General Motors earlier this year, the company has now admitted that it did not repay its…
Blog
The Libertarian Holiday Gift Guide
Cheers to the brilliant production team at Reason TV, who have provided some welcome comedy this holiday season with their new video, “The Libertarian Holiday…
Blog
5 Great Books on Politics and Public Policy from 2016
A lot of interesting books on politics, economics, and public policy were published over the last twelve months. It can be difficult, though, finding the gems…
Blog
Some Advice for Trump Appointees
Your role in the new administration is to propose ways of restoring limited government – by privatization, deregulation, extending property rights, and taking on the…
The Claremont Review of Books
Bullying Culture
Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Strassel has written an insightful, important book on the Left’s efforts to drive market-friendly voices from the public square. A…
Tulsa World
Credit Reports Used by Insurance Companies
Tulsa World
What’s the Best Way to Create More Jobs?
Unleash the power of small business. The US Senate just passed a bill called the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act. The thrust of the…
Brietbart
A Better ‘Pledge’: Congress Shall Make No Law
When I think of a “Pledge” I’m reminded of my fraternity days and being hazed and lightly humiliated. House Republicans are offering their “Pledge to…
Brietbart
The Progressive Era’s Derailment of Classical Liberal Evolution
It is true that where a considerable part of the costs incurred are external costs from the point of view of the acting individuals…
Blog
How Ridesharing Platforms Help the Economy
We have been saying for a while that ridesharing platforms like Lyft are different from traditional transportation firms, not just in the technology they use,…
Blog
Ratios, Not People: The Wrong Approach to Inequality
Thomas Piketty, the best-selling author of Capital in the 21st Century, has a new paper on economic inequality with coauthors Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman.
Foundation for Economic Education
San Francisco Turns against Its Own Startup Airbnb
San Francisco is the birthplace of Airbnb. Even so, politicians in this city have created some of the most restrictive home-sharing regulations in the…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Western and Soviet Politics
In this episode, historian Andrew Roberts and Russian émigré Alexander Markovsky compare Western and Soviet politics.
Study
Free to Prosper
The 115th Congress is poised to tackle regulatory reform. Check out CEI's recommendations to move America toward economic growth, prosperity, and liberty.
Foundation for Economic Education
How AirBNB Awakens Dormant Capital
Every day, modern liberal economies create wealth. That wealth translates into better health, better education, art, literature, and the finer things of life. We only…
Independent Journal Review
It’s Time For The New President And Congress To Think Big When It Comes To Cutting Government Waste
Political revolutions don’t come around often: Margaret Thatcher in Britain in 1979, the fall of the Berlin Wall in Eastern Europe in 1990, the Contract…
Blog
Free Market Opportunities for the Trump Administration
This election has given us one more demonstration that knowledge is dispersed and “trusting the experts” to know the future is foolish. The unexpected success…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: The Nanny State Down Under and the Robot Revolution
In this week’s episode, Topher Field discusses lifestyle regulation madness Down Under and Katherine Mangu-Ward ushers in the robot revolution.
Blog
Audience Reactions to “I, Whiskey”
Since releasing the new film I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit last month, we’ve had an excellent response from people around the country.
Foundation for Economic Education
An Existential Threat to the UK’s Sharing Economy
A UK Employment Tribunal has ruled that drivers who use the Uber platform should be regarded as employees. This qualifies them for various statutory…
Blog
Finding the Perfect Quote for “I, Whiskey”
How would the film end? I, Pencil began with a memorable quotation. We would end I, Whiskey with a provocative one. Give the audience something…
Blog
Learning Lessons from Reed’s ‘Real Heroes’
About a dozen years ago, I developed a habit of asking the same question when I interviewed someone for a job. Typically, about two-thirds of…
Blog
Meet the Stars of “I, Whiskey”
CEI’s new film I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit is about freedom and innovation, but also about making human connections in the marketplace.
Blog
Dueling Narratives on the AT&T-Time Warner “Mega Merger”
This weekend AT&T and Time Warner announced a merger deal and it didn't take long for critics on the left to begin making concerned statements…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: The Spirit of 1776 and the Reality of War
In this episode, West Point Professor, Dr. Robert McDonald discusses Thomas Jefferson’s legacy and renowned collector and founder of the Museum of World War II,…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: American Cuisine and Whiskey
This week on RealClear Radio Hour, Paul Freedman and Rick Wasmund treat us to delicious courses of American cuisine and whiskey.
Blog
The Inspiration Behind the New Film “I, Whiskey”
I think it can be said all films have an unexpected Genesis, an unlikely, improbable trajectory. I, Whiskey was no exception.
Investor's Business Daily
‘I, Whiskey’: Free Markets And The Human Spirit
In a political season that's seen a lot of skepticism about big business and trade, it can be good to step back and remind…
Blog
New Study Explores the Morality and Virtues of Capitalism
Fred Smith's new study on the morality of capitalism discusses how we think about corporations as economic actors.
Blog
Facebook Makes the Case for “Free Basics” Internet Access
Facebook is lobbying the White House for the government’s blessing to offer its “Free Basics” service in the United States, according to a story reported…
Blog
Early Reviews Are in for “I, Whiskey”
The long wait is over – CEI has released the full version of the new film I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit online.
Blog
The Film That Came before “I, Whiskey”
Next Wednesday, October 12th, CEI will release the new short film I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit.
Blog
Federal Communications Commission Delays Vote on Cable Box Rules
How would the proposed rules change cable set-top boxes?…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Penniless Presidencies and Fashioning America
This week, we discuss two new books covering the national debt crisis and political values with authors Dr. Alan Axelrod and Cathy Lynn Taylor.
Cato Journal
Review of “Markets without Limits”
Are there some things that should be beyond the market, that is, which should not be permitted to be bought and sold? Jason Brennan and Peter Jaworski…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Sensible Science and Authenticity
On this week’s RealClear Radio Hour, Tracey Brown weighs risk, reward, and science, and Glenn Carroll describes authenticity’s paradox.
Blog
New Drug Price Proposal Light on Competition, Heavy on Bureaucracy
Last Friday, Hillary Clinton announced a new plan to “respond to unjustified price hikes” on certain pharmaceutical drugs.
Forbes
Brexit Planners Should Look To The U.S. For Inspiration
In June, British voters voted to leave the European Union, whose bureaucracy had imposed alien laws and regulations on them for decades. The EU system…
Blog
31 Is the Loneliest Number… on the CEI Calendar
We just realized that August 31st is missing from CEI's 2016 Cartoon Calendar.
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Budding CEOs, Women, and Politics
On this week’s episode, Jeff Sandefer tells how children younger than 10 are wowing Shark Tank investors and Sarah Skwire compares the feminism of free…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Taxpayers on the Hook
This week on RealClear Radio Hour, Michael Tanner tallies Uncle Sam’s ballooning entitlement debt and Romina Boccia pulls back the cover on the Beltway crony…
Forbes
Capitalism and the Candidates
As a longtime advocate for capitalism, I’ve been considering the prospects for free market ideas in a White House presided over by either of the…
Blog
Celebrating Two Great Economists: Bruce Yandle and Julian Simon
I’d like to second my colleague Fred’s birthday wishes for the distinguished economist Bruce Yandle of Clemson University.
Blog
Happy Birthday to Economist Bruce Yandle
Bruce Yandle – a great economic scholar at Clemson University for many years and recipient of the 2016 Julian Simon Award – reaches his 83rd…
Blog
“Comeback” Documents Real-life Americans Overcoming Adversity
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), and the nonprofit group Opportunity Lives recently hosted a screening of Comeback, a documentary series highlighting the strengths of American…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Social Justice and Overcriminalization
This week on RealClear Radio Hour we look at two sides of criminal justice reform—from encouraging entrepreneurial hustle and productive reentry into society to reining…
Blog
Reason’s Bastiat Journalism Prize Celebrates Writers Who Advance Freedom
Leftist intellectual and media bias can be as disheartening and maddening as it is relentless. So thank goodness for the Reason Foundation and its annual…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Freedom Rising
This week’s RealClear Radio Hour was recorded in Las Vegas at FreedomFest 2016, the trade show for liberty.
Forbes
Antitrust Regulation And The 2016 Party Platform Debates
Having never been a fan of antitrust protectionism, I found it interesting that (according to Bloomberg) while Democrats are highlighting antitrust in their…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: U.S. Constitutionalist and Soviet Dissident
In this episode of RealClear Radio Hour, we contrast constitutionalism and socialism.
Blog
Politics and Economics Collide with Pokémon Go
It seems strange to think it’s been barely a week since Pokémon Go became the dominant pop culture phenomenon of the summer. Publications better known…
Blog
Kim Strassel Offers Prescient Look at Political ‘Intimidation Game’
Prescience is an odd quality to attribute to a book-length treatment of recent history. Nonetheless, The Intimidation Game by Kimberly Strassel adheres closely to Antonio’s…
Blog
Five Freedoms We Defend This Fourth
How are you celebrating Independence Day? Whether your plans involve a fireworks display or a barbecue with friends, we hope that this 4th of July…
Blog
Will the Sharing Economy Give Us Greater Economic Mobility?
Last night the R Street Institute sponsored a fascinating policy panel here in Washington, D.C., “Boost or Barrier? Upward mobility in the on-demand economy.”…
Blog
Bill Frezza Wins Economic Writing Prize
Bill Frezza, host of RealClear Radio Hour and CEI fellow, was awarded the Foundation for Economic Education’s 2016 Beth Hoffman prize for economic writing for…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Innovation Economy & State Fiscal Breakdown
This week on RealClear Radio Hour, guests Garrett Johnson and Eileen Norcross explain the importance of developing a more technologically nimble and fiscally responsible government.
Blog
Religious and Economic Liberty Are Intertwined
The massacre in Orlando was a tragic reminder that we’re at war—against hate, against extremism, and against intolerance. Although there are many contributing factors…
Blog
Coming Soon: International Mayors for Inconvenient Travel
While we wait to see whether Gov. Andrew Cuomo will sign legislation targeting home-share listings in New York, the governmental response to the sharing economy’s…
Blog
Building on the Optimism of “Uber-Positive” Attitudes
There’s a new resource for understanding the state of play between politics and developments in the sharing economy, the pleasantly slim volume by the Manhattan…
Staff & Scholars
Clyde Wayne Crews
Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies
- Business and Government
- Consumer Freedom
- Deregulation
Richard Morrison
Senior Fellow
- Antitrust
- Business and Government
- Capitalism and Free Enterprise
Fred L. Smith, Jr.
Founder; Chairman Emeritus
- Automobiles and Roads
- Aviation
- Business and Government
Ryan Young
Senior Economist
- Antitrust
- Business and Government
- Regulatory Reform