Featured Posts
Blog
Subsidy-free capitalism may require a constitutional amendment
Automobiles, electrification, ample consumer goods and mass marketing, a construction boom, and access to credit helped fuel the Roaring Twenties of a century ago.
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Frontier economics with Kendall Cotton
In this week’s episode we cover the diamond jubilee of the Philadelphia Society, the cost of government regulation in the UK, the…
Blog
Small banks targeted as FDIC cracks down on technology partnerships
Earlier this week, Politico’s “Morning Money” column reported an astonishing finding that almost certainly points to politicization in enforcement by federal bank regulators. The…
Search Posts
Blog
What’s Driving the New Economy: Reviewing ‘Tomorrow 3.0’
We truly do live in amazing times. And according to Michael Munger, who directs Duke University’s multidisciplinary PPE program (it stands for Philosophy, Politics, and…
Blog
Track How Humans Are Making Progress around the World
For several years now, HumanProgress has been an excellent source of data and scholarship on major demographic trends around the word. As longtime fans know,…
Blog
Tax Complexity a Major Headache for Small Businesses Online
For a lot of small businesses in America, taxes are not just an expensive hassle but a scary, anxiety-inducing ordeal. Taxes are the…
Blog
Consumers Lose in European Union’s Struggle against Google
Anti-technology hysteria continues to build in the European Union. Margrethe Vestager, the European Commissioner for Competition, confirmed today that she is still considering breaking…
Blog
Natural Isn’t Necessarily Better: Celebrating Human Achievement
Human Achievement Hour is the Competitive Enterprise’s Institute’s annual celebration of innovation and progress. During this hour, people around the world pay tribute to the advancements that inventors…
Blog
History Lesson in Technological Optimism: Simon, Jevons, and Lardner
Through his publications and scholarly work in the 1980s and 90s, the economist Julian Simon challenged the conventional wisdom and the intellectual position of the…
Blog
Hernando de Soto Wins Julian Simon Memorial Award
It is enormously gratifying that this year’s winner of the Julian Simon Award is Hernando de Soto, whose work around the world to define,…
Blog
Gains from Automation Create Path to Greater Prosperity
Automation has become somewhat of a dirty word recently. Fear of mass unemployment and widening inequality has led to calls for greater regulations of technology…
Blog
Human Achievement Benefits Nature’s Creatures—Including Pets
Environmental activists want you to “take action for our planet and nature” by sitting in the dark for an hour on March 24th. But…
Blog
Impressive Work on Display by Students for Liberty
Congratulations are in order to our friends at Students for Liberty and their CEO Wolf von Laer on a successfully annual conference recently held here…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Urging Congress to Enact the Global Trade Accountability Act
View Full Document as PDF To Members of Congress: We the undersigned free market organizations, representing millions of hardworking Americans, urge you…
Blog
What Will You Achieve with Your 8,760 Hours?
Several years ago CEI launched Human Achievement Hour, an annual celebration of innovation and progress. During this hour—this year, Saturday, March 24th from 8:30pm to…
Blog
‘Fair Shot’ by Chris Hughes: Facebook Co-Founder’s Book Rich in Anecdote and Emotion
Chris Hughes, the co-founder of Facebook, has a new book out with a dramatic suggestion for changing the distribution of wealth in the United States.
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition in Opposition to Taxpayer Bailouts for Private Health Insurance Companies
View Full Document as PDF Dear Members of Congress: On behalf of our organizations and the millions of American taxpayers we represent,…
Blog
Happy Birthday to Adam Smith’s ‘Wealth of Nations’
Being able to make voluntary transactions with others while having redress in the case of fraud sets the stage for larger, more complex, and longer-term market…
News Release
CEI Comments on February Jobs Report Numbers, Cautions Against Restrictive Trade Policy
CEI expert examines February's jobs numbers and cautions that the administration's trade policies have the potential to undo the positive growth:…
Blog
Tracking Public Opinion on Trump, Tariffs, and Trade
A Pew study noted that Republicans’ views on free trade shifted in a more negative way during the 2016 presidential campaign, while Democrats’ views…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Urging the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to Markup the Freedom from Government Competition Act of 2017.
View Full Document as PDF Dear Representative, On behalf of the undersigned organizations and our millions of members from across the country,…
McClatchy
These Communities Sued Big Oil Over Climate Change; Then The Backlash Began
McClatchy cited the Competitive Enterprise Institute and its litigation efforts in response to infringement on the organization’s free-speech rights as well as peititioning against cities…
FEE
Blockchain Technology Requires Permissionless Innovation to Flourish
Blockchain has been hitting the headlines recently. Once regarded as a niche interest for technologically experienced libertarians and other computer nerds, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are…
Blog
Millennials Love Entrepreneurship But Skeptical of ‘Capitalism’
If we want Millennials to have a greater appreciation for the virtues of capitalism, we need to convey how their entrepreneurial aspirations can only be made possible…
Blog
Seeing How People Really Live around the World
A recent TED Talk by Anna Rosling Rönnlund features images collected by photographers dispatched to 264 different homes in 50 countries around the world. They document the stoves, bed,…
Blog
Implement AEI-Heritage-R Street GSE Plan AND Honor Shareholder Contracts
It is welcome news that our friends from the American Enterprise Institute, Heritage Foundation, and the R Street Institute put forth a plan this week…
The Washington Times
Democratic Governors Outsource Climate Campaigns To Activist Groups, Emails Reveal
The Washingotn Times quoted Chris Horner on the cache of emails obtained by the Competitive Enterprise Institute through use of open records requests which shows…
Letters
CEI Joins Open Letter to President Trump Opposing Import Restrictions on Steel and Aluminum
View Full Document as PDF Dear President Trump, On behalf of the following organizations, we urge you not to impose tariffs or…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Urging Congress to support the Sugar Policy Modernization Act of 2017
View Full Document as PDF Dear Senators and Representatives, On behalf of the undersigned organizations and our millions of members across the…
Variety
AT&T-Time Warner Merger: Does the DOJ Have a Case?
Variety quoted Ted Frank and Frank Bednarz on the impact that fear of large business firms has on the Department of Justice and the results…
Valuewalk
Time To End The GSE Conservatorship
When other financial institutions that received TARP funds paid back what they owed to the U.S. Treasury in full, the government relinquished its ownership stake…
The New York Times
Justice Department Sues to Block AT&T-Time Warner Merger
The New York Times cited Ryan Radia on lack of impact which the AT&T-Time Warner merger would pose to any distinct market. The…
Investor's Business Daily
A Tale Of Two Decisions: Trump Administration Got Antitrust Wrong, But Net Neutrality Right
Investor’s Business Daily quoted Frank Bednarz on emerging sentiments held by lawyers recently emerging from Law School which consider the centralization of industrialization to be…
Forbes
Online Gambling — None Of Washington’s Business (But Its Enemies Don’t Care)
Forbes cited Michelle Minton on the history of Pennsylvania Representative Charlie Dent and others to pass an amendment illegalizing state-based internet gambling within the state…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Supporting the Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act
View Full Document as PDF Dear Congressman Roskam, On behalf of millions of taxpayers across America, we write to endorse the Preventing…
Bloomberg Politics
California Critic Cites Climate Hypocrisy, Urges SEC Probe
Bloomberg Politics covers CEI’s letter to the SEC urging an investigation of potential bond fraud by local governments in California. California officials are downplaying…
InsideSources
In the Sports-Subsidy Game, Taxpayers Always Lose
Few events unite our diverse country and bring people together like sports. No matter where we are from, which team we root for, or even…
CNN
Some Politicians and Advocacy Groups Cautiously Praise DOJ’s AT&T Lawsuit
CNN cited Ryan Radia on the lack of impact a merger between the merger of AT&T-Time Warner and the merger being a vertical transaction which…
Blog
The Politics of Groundhog Day
In honor of the classic Bill Murray film “Groundhog Day,” Reason TV has released a “horrifyingly relevant” parody video about the seemingly endless national…
The Daily Caller
Cities’ Global Warming Lawsuits Raise ‘Serious Questions of Bond Fraud,’ Attorneys Say
The Daily Caller covers CEI’s letter to the Securities Exchange Commision (SEC) notifying them of potential municipal bond fraud. A libertarian think tank has…
Blog
Young Americans’ Disdain for Capitalism Misplaced
The enmity that many young Americans hold towards capitalism can be attributed to ideological and partisan predispositions, personal experiences during the Great Recession, the ensuing…
Business Management Daily
House bill to reverse Browning-Ferris advances
Business Management Daily cited the Competitive Enterprise Institute and its role to overturn the Browning-Ferris act in order to clarify what constitutes that a “joint employer” must have…
Reason
National I.D. By Any Other Name Still Stinks
Reason covers the release of a new report published by the Cato Institute and authored by Jim Harper. There have been many pushes to…
Blog
Trump State of the Union Response: Double Down on Cutting Red Tape
Cutting red tape, so talented individuals can thrive, will help put the long-term roar back into the economy.
InsideSources
Franchise Businesses Expect Faster Growth Under Trump
InsideSources covers deregulation under the Trump administration. President Donald Trump was credited by a major franchise association Monday with the sector expecting to outperform…
Blog
Theory and Practice Argue We Should Abolish Antitrust Laws
Laws about competition should be restricted to laws preventing government from playing favorites. Government-erected barriers against competition or innovation need to be torn down. As…
National Review
Misplaced Trust in Antitrust
I was mystified to see Robert VerBruggen’s story in the latest issue calling for “gentle approaches” to solving what he regards as a monopoly…
U.S. News & World Report
Cutting Off Consumers
A new regulation will burden low- and middle-income Americans reliant on payday loans. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau just released a new rule against payday…
Las Vegas
Think Tank Releasing Report On New Jersey Challenge To Sports Betting Act
Las Vegas Review-Journal quotes Michelle Minton the impact on consumer freedom which a federal sports gambling known as PASPA poses. When the U.S.
The Washington Times
Conservatives Fear More Left-Leaning Media With AT&T, Time Warner Merger
The Washington Times quotes Wayne Crews on the traditional importance of deregulation in communications for conservative policy and how traditional media conglomerates are losing influence…
USA Today
Businesses Already Serve a Social Purpose
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s letter to CEOs demanding that their companies “serve a social purpose” is the latest example of what economist Milton Friedman dubbed…
Blog
Understanding the Weird and Wonderful with Pete Leeson
Prof. Pete Leeson’s recent book teaches readers how to use economic thinking to reveal the hidden sense behind seemingly senseless human behavior.
The American Spectator
Pennsylvania’s Entry Into Online Gaming May Kill Federal Ban Effort
The American Spectator covers Pennsylvania’s online gambling law and how it could affect the federal ban effort. The impending implementation of Pennsylvania online gaming…
Blog
Here’s to the Side Hustlers
The rise of self-employment apps like Uber and TaskRabbit, where people decide when to work and how many jobs, rides, or gigs to take on,…
Blog
Antitrust Resurgence Could Transform Tech Innovators into Lumbering Public Utilities
Regulation in the technology sector is worse than government merely picking winners and losers.
Fox News Channel
VIDEO: Iain Murray Discusses Shrinking Government Bureaucracy on Fox News Channel
January 15, 2018 – Iain Murray, Vice President for Strategy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, joined Fox News Channel’s The Next Revolution with Steve Hilton…
Fox Business
Red Robin Eliminates Bus Boys as Restaurants Combat Minimum Wage Hikes
Fox Business discusses minimum wage hikes with Iain Murray. At the beginning of January, minimum wage increases took effect in 18 states and…
Blog
Federalist Society Documents ‘American Spirit’ of U.S. Distilling
The Federalist Society has produced an excellent new short film out about the history of alcohol regulation.
Blog
Justice Department Breaks Trump Vow to Leave Marijuana up to States
It is Congress’s responsibility to finally update federal drug laws in a way that reflects America’s changing values and priorities. …
Blog
Business World Lessons from the Silicon Valley International Film Festival
Business relationships are about serving the customer and creating win-win transactions.
Blog
Who Will Regulate Tom Wheeler?
When free competition suffers, it is government intervention that is the problem, not the companies doing the competing.
Carolina Journal
Prohibition Ended with Repeal, but Efforts to Regulate and Restrict Alcohol Continue
Carolina Journal covers CEI and the John Locke Foundation’s Repeal Day Luncheon and screening of I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit. The misguided and ultimately…
Wall Street Journal
Dow 24000 and the Trump Boom
Maria Bartiromo, writing for Wall Street Journal, cites 10,000 Commandments. I’m not in the habit of giving stock tips or making market calls. I’ve never…
CNBC
VIDEO: Ryan Radia Discusses Disney-21st Century Fox Deal on CNBC
Ryan Radia, Research Fellow and Regulatory Counsel at CEI, joined CNBC’s Power Lunch to discuss the Disney – 21st Century Fox merger and how…
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
What Should Direct Our Economy: The Invisible Hand or the Iron Fist?
You probably heard: a recent poll found that nearly half of American millennials would rather live under socialism than capitalism. To anyone old enough to remember…
CoinDesk
Victory Lap? 2017 Was Bitcoin’s Backwards Year
2017 was another gloriously miserable year for bitcoin. As in 2016, gains in the price of bitcoin belie deep deficits in the cryptocurrency world.
Blog
President’s Fall Policy Update
We have measures and very clear guideposts to tell us if we are on the right path.
HowStuffWorks
Why Is Amazon Not Considered a Monopoly?
HowStuffWorks discusses Amazon with Marc Scribner. How big is too big? That’s the question that economists and policymakers are asking about Amazon, the…
Blog
Raising a Glass to Repeal Day
This week we celebrated the 84th anniversary of the end of Prohibition with Repeal Day.
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Urging Rejection of Tariffs on Washing Machines
VIEW FULL DOCUMENT AS PDF Dear Mr. President and Ambassador Lighthizer: On behalf of the undersigned organizations, representing millions of American taxpayers,…
News Release
CEI President Commends EPA Administrator Pruitt for Progress Made on Regulatory Reform
This morning, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt will appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment Subcommittee to discuss the EPA’s mission.
Blog
Economics Will Be Our Ruination, Bitcoin Edition—and Some Notes on Securing Your Cryptocurrency
Asked about Bitcoin last week, economics Nobel laureate and Columbia University professor Joseph Stiglitz said, among other gems, “It ought to be outlawed. It…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Urging Efforts to Prevent IRS Abuse
View Full Document as PDF Dear Speaker Ryan and Majority Leader McConnell, On behalf of millions of taxpayers across America, we hereby…
The Daily Caller
Eco-Billionaire Tom Steyer Is Noticeably Absent from Fight Against Solar Tariff Push
The Daily Caller discusses solar tariffs. Billionaire green energy champion Tom Steyer has been strangely silent about a slew of trade tariffs analysts believe…
Blog
Economic Lessons of Thanksgiving
The history behind Thanksgiving can teach us valuable lessons about how we can and should live together with our fellow Americans.
Blog
This Thanksgiving, I’m Thankful for Hysterical Net Neutrality Advocates
Do you want private entities in a marketplace in charge or do you want government regulators calling the shots?…
Blog
Framework for a Free Society: Celebrating the Ideas of Bruno Leoni
People can manage their affairs, even drawing and administering the lines between right and wrong, without legislators and bureaucrats.
Forbes
Online Gambling — None of Washington’s Business (But Its Enemies Don’t Care)
George Leef writing for Forbes cites Michelle Minton’s work on online gambling. One of the things that gives capitalism a bad name is the way…
Blog
Trump the Hipster? AT&T, Time Warner, and Hipster Antitrust
When antitrust law no longer focuses on consumer welfare, and when vague concerns about the bigness of firms are actionable, regulators have a free hand…
Blog
Predictable Attempts to Extend Government Control over Internet Content
Technology companies should take this opportunity to fight against harmful government restriction on business practices, innovation, and investment. The future of the Internet depends on it.
Blog
Tear Down the Wall Between Banking and Commerce
The separation of commerce and banking has little relevance in the 21st century.
News Release
Competitive Enterprise Institute Praises Trump SEC Nominee, Hester Peirce
The Senate Banking Committee today voted unanimously to confirm two of President Trump’s nominees to fill vacant posts on the powerful Securities and Exchange Commission.
News Release
EPA Reforms of Advisory Boards are “Long Overdue” Says CEI
Sensible reforms mean the advisory boards must be objective and free from conflicts of interest.
Letters
Open Letter to President Trump: Avoid Trade Restrictions on Solar Panels
VIEW FULL DOCUMENT AS PDF Dear President Trump, On behalf of the undersigned organizations, representing millions of Americans, we urge you to…
News Release
Senate Stops Harmful CFPB Arbitration Ban
The Senate prevented a cash grab that would have transferred wealth from consumers to the pockets of wealthy attorneys.
Blog
Will New Zealand Forget the Benefits of Economic Freedom?
As an Australian, there are two things I have always admired about New Zealand—their remarkable national rugby team and their stunning embrace of…
Comment
Testimony of Wayne Crews on “Regulatory Reform Task Force Check-In”
View Full Document as PDF When policymakers neglect federal regulation, they ignore arguably the greatest element of governmental influence in the United…
News Release
CEI Comments on Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act (H.R. 522)
From Adam Schulman, Attorney with CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness, on HR 522, The Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act: “Our constitutional republic is premised…
News Release
CEI Comments on Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act (H.R.469)
From William Yeatman, Senior Fellow, on HR 469, The Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act: “H.R. 469 is a welcome bill that…
Intercollegiate Review
Licensed to Death: How One Reform Could Empower Americans and Boost Our Economy
Economic freedom—the ability of individuals to exchange voluntarily without government interference—is the greatest driver of prosperity the world has ever seen. Over the past three…
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Think Tank Releasing Report on New Jersey Challenge to Sports Betting Act
Las Vegas Review-Journal covers Michelle Minton’s “Let States Regulate Sports Gambling within their Borders.” When the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on the…
News Release
More than 60 Climate Experts Support Reconsideration of EPA’s Endangerment Finding
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) and the Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt…
Blog
Fighting for Our Right to Party at WhiskeyFest
Don’t be afraid of sticking up for your favorite things – there’s always someone looking for the weakest target to tax, regulate, and restrict. If…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Urging Repeal of Estate Tax
View Full Document as PDF Dear Leader McConnell, Speaker Ryan, Chairman Hatch, and Chairman Brady, The undersigned organizations appreciate your work to…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Urging Comprehensive, Pro-Growth Tax Reform
View Full Document as PDF Dear Speaker Ryan, Leader McConnell, Secretary Mnuchin, Director Cohn, Chairman Hatch, and Chairman Brady: On behalf of…
Blog
President Trump Outlines ‘American Model’ Tax Code
On Friday, September 29, President Trump outlined his tax reform package in a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) in Washington, D.C.
Blog
Celebrate National Coffee Day
In the modern American workplace, many people see coffee as essential to productivity and for socializing around the coffee machine, which makes it unsurprising that…
Blog
Taxes, Welfare, and Economic Inequality
At a time when comprehensive tax reform is dominating news headlines, concerns about income inequality and the distributional effects of future tax changes are again…
Augusta Free Press
American Sports Betting Coalition Details Benefits of Legalized Sports Betting at Capitol Hill Briefing
Augusta Free Press covers the American Sports Betting Coalition’s efforts on Capitol Hill to advocate for legalizing sports betting. The American Gaming Association and…
Foundation for Economic Education
London’s Uber Ban Sends it Back to the Dark Ages
When I lived in London in the 1990s, I had to use pricey Black Cabs to get around the city at night. However, heaven help…
Blog
Google Employees Hear Moral Case for Fossil Fuels
Everyone, especially Silicon Valley's tech elite, needs to understand the human value of fossil fuels.
InsideSources
Three Early Lessons From the Equifax Hack
InsideSources covers the Equifax breach and Jim Harper‘s response to it. It’s been almost two weeks since Equifax reported the hack of 143…
Blog
Beacon Center Nominated for Templeton Freedom Award
Congrats to the hard-working folks of the Beacon Center of Tennessee for their “Tackle the Hall Tax” advocacy campaign…
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