Featured Posts
The-A-Word
People can be authoritarian about anything. That includes liberals and freelance busting. This Q&A with Luke Conway explains why.
The-A-Word cited CEI’s expert on the rise of authoritarianism I was thinking about all this when Iain Murray of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian…
Epoch Times
Congress’ Post-Chevron Dilemma: Take Back Power From Agencies or Concede It for Good
Epoch Times cited CEI’s expert on excessive government regulation When federal regulatory expert Wayne Crews was asked recently what Congress should do about excessive government…
Blog
Government efficiency commission: the good, the bad, and the ugly
Donald Trump is proposing a new government efficiency commission and he wants Elon Musk to lead it. Like most campaign proposals, it does not…
Search Posts
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…
Federal Times
Report Calls for Drastic Workforce Cuts at Regulatory Agencies
Federal Times covers CEI’s publication Shrinking Government Bureaucracy. The non-profit Competitive Enterprise Institute is all about shrinking government. In a newly released report…
Blog
Why Should Millennials Want to Shrink Government Bureaucracy?
Free markets and limited government are for every generation.
Blog
CEI Film ‘I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit’ on Tour
"I, Whiskey" is back on the road this fall with three festivals in California.
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Opposing Raising the National Debt Limit
View Full Document as PDF Dear Speaker Ryan, Leader McCarthy, Whip Scalise, and Chairwoman McMorris Rodgers: We, the undersigned conservative organizations,…
Foundation for Economic Education
Eventually Amazon Will Fail – and That’s a Good Thing
The Federal Trade Commission has cleared the merger between Amazon and Whole Foods, sparking yet more fears that the retail giant is becoming too…
Blog
Happy 25th to the State Policy Network
The State Policy Network is an impressive organization that helps improve the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations and nonprofit leaders at the state level across the…
Blog
Why Economic Freedom Is the Best Weapon against Poverty
This blog post is adapted from a speech delivered to the Foreign Service Institute at the United States Department of State on August 29, 2017.
National Review Online
Operation Choke Point is Over – Perhaps
Supporters of the rule of law will be overjoyed to hear that the Department of Justice has officially closed down Operation Choke Point. In…
Blog
Occupational Licensing Reform in the Beehive State
Occupational licensing reform is a winner in terms of giving the working poor greater opportunities to earn a living…
Blog
Understanding Spontaneous Order with ‘It’s a Wonderful Loaf’
Sound economic thinking combined with an artistic, poetic presentation can reach both the hearts and minds of people across the political spectrum.
News Release
Shrinking Government Bureaucracy Provides Roadmap for Rethinking Federal Agencies
Dramatically decreasing federal regulations could boost the economy, unshackle job creators, and put more money back in Americans’ pockets.
Study
Rethinking the Securities and Exchange Commission
View Full Document as PDF The nation’s securities laws and the very existence of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are premised…
Study
Rethinking the Department of Commerce
View Full Document as PDF The Department of Commerce’s mission statement is a charter for government interference in markets. It employs 47,000…
Blog
Happy India Independence Day
Today is the 70th anniversary of India’s independence from the United Kingdom, and the nation of 1.3 billion people has seen dramatic economic and social…
Blog
Anthem Film Festival Award Winners
In addition to dozens of panels, debates, and presentations over the four days of FreedomFest 2017, attendees were also treated to the movies presented at…
Blog
The Other Kind of Documentary
Nothing energizes a web video producer more than showing their film to a live audience.
Blog
FreedomFest Explores ‘New Frontiers’ in Liberty
CNN’s Chris Moody recently reported from FreedomFest, the pro-liberty political conference that’s been hosted for the last 10 years in Las Vegas.
Crowdfund Insider
“Sarbanes-Oxley Is Shutting Out Average Investors from the Early Growth Stages of the Next Cisco & Starbucks”
Crowdfund Insider covers John Berlau’s testimony on Sarbanes-Oxley before the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment (Financial Services). … In…
Blog
Restore Economic Opportunity by Repealing Occupational Licensing Rules
To increase growth, we need to get rid of some of the unnecessary barriers to economic opportunity that have arisen in recent years – such…
Blog
OMB Director Mick Mulvaney Discusses the Trump Administration’s Regulatory Reform Efforts
The following is an excerpt from remarks delivered by Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney on The Path Forward of Regulatory Reform held at CEI…
The New York Times
U.S. Reopens Harley Settlement, Cutting Funds for Pollution Reduction Plan
The New York Times covers the Harley-Davidson settlement recently changed by the Trump administration. Last year the United States government fined Harley-Davidson…
InsideSources
Department of Energy Invests Additional $46M in Struggling Solar Energy Sector
InsideSources covers a coalition letter, including CEI, urging the House Appropriations Committee to cut the SunShot program. When it comes to solar power,…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Supporting Amendment #388 to the National Defense Authorization Act [H. R. 2810]
View full document as PDF Dear Representative: The undersigned organizations write in strong support of Representative Warren Davidson’s amendment #388 to H.
The Regulatory Review
Constructively Improving Railroad Regulations
Edward R. Hamberger, President and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, mentions a piece by Fred Smith and Marc Scribner regarding regulations of the…
The Daily Caller
RAWA: One Casino Billionaire’s Quest to Kill Internet Gambling
The Daily Caller covers the Restoration of America’s Wire Act and cites a paper written by Michelle Minton on the subject. Enter the…
News Release
CEI Statement on Senate Confirmation of Neomi Rao to head Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Today, the Senate voted to confirm Neomi Rao as Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), the office tasked with the critical job of…
Washington Examiner
Shift to E-Commerce Is Saving Time, Creating Jobs
Washington Examiner cites Anna St. John’s piece on a class action suit involving the Metropolitan Museum of Art and how similar suits can harm cultural…
Blog
Conservatives International Brings Pro-Liberty Activists Together
Our friends at Conservatives International published a great short video this week featuring CEI’s own Iain Murray.
OneNewsNow
Up for Debate: Is Amazon Getting Too Big?
OneNewsNow discusses the Amazon-Whole Foods deal with Iain Murray. A free market strategist says consumers shouldn’t worry about Amazon gaining a monopoly on…
Blog
Fred Smith on Free Markets, Trump, and Climate Change
Fred Smith talks with the PanAm Post at a recent conference on international politics in Miami, Florida.
Washington Examiner
No, Amazon Isn’t a Monopoly Just Because It Bought Whole Foods
Amazon announced a deal last week to purchase the grocery chain Whole Foods for nearly $14 billion. The company’s largest proposed transaction to date,…
Fortune
States Are Secretly Trying to Tax Your Online Purchases
States and localities currently cannot tax online purchases made from companies outside their own borders. Yet over the past two decades, state and local…
Blog
Is Greed Really Good for Business?
Is the for-profit world only about making profits and nothing else?…
News Release
CEI Comments on Amazon’s Plan to Buy Whole Foods
Amazon’s recent announcement of its plan to buy the grocery chain Whole Foods has set off a series of questions and speculation. CEI experts on…
Blog
The Key to Prosperity in the Southern Hemisphere and around the World
We have the potential to put developing economies on a path to avoid the mistakes made in America and among our European friends.
The Denver Post
Colorado’s Costly “Demand-Side Management” Bill Makes No Sense
At the end of the legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly had an opportunity to stop a nonsensical electricity program that will cost Xcel Energy…
Hot Air
Change: DoJ No Longer Sharing Lawsuit Payouts with Activist Groups
Hot Air covers the DOJ’s rule change to disallow settlement payments to activists groups. An important — and expensive — incentive for legal…
Blog
Emoluments Clause Does Not Ban Sales to Foreigners
The Constitution is not hostile to the free market or international trade. Indeed, many…
Blog
CEI in Wonderland: The 2017 CEI Dinner Movie
This year, inspired by Lewis Carroll's famous characters, our theme was “Through the Looking Glass: Washington Gets Curiouser and Curiouser.”…
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…
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