Capitalism is the economic system in which a market economy is combined with legal protections for each individual’s rights, including the right to own and dispose of one’s own property as one sees fit. Leaving people free to work, save, and invest, with as little government interference as possible, creates an environment in which wealth grows and society advances.
Defending that system is one of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s primary goals. Regardless of which industry, product, or business model we consider, the same expectations and legal guarantees apply. The role of government officials—whether at the local, state, or federal level—is to create a system of law and policy that allows voluntary contracts to proceed and the gains from them to be enjoyed by their participants.
To the extent that current government policy violates those expectations, it should be reformed or abolished. CEI’s defense of capitalism as an economic and legal system applies to sector-specific law and regulation as well as to economy-wide rules. Our advocacy for regulatory reform of telecommunications, energy, finance, or any other part of the economy rests on the fundamental right of individuals to create, innovate, and build whatever voluntary arrangements they can imagine.
Capitalism Issue Areas
Featured Posts
Blog
America250 and the Oath against democratic socialism
Not every ideology seeking power is equally compatible with a faithful commitment to preserve the constitutional order. Turn on cable news or browse conservative…
The Daily Economy
Liberty Is the Common Good of a Free People
These days, it is commonplace for conservatives to say that government must serve the common good. That assertion is usually couched as a criticism…
Blog
The problem is scarcity, not Disney’s prices
Disney doesn’t just offer admission to a theme park. It promises a magical experience. But when millions of people seek that experience, Disney must…
Studies
Assets Undermining Management
In recent years, the two major proxy advisors in the United States have prioritized environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations in their investing advice…
Don’t Panic: A Skeptic’s Guide to the AI Jobs Doomsday
As technology advances it has periodically bred the fear that progress will destroy jobs and livelihoods. History teaches that these fears are usually misplaced.
Giants of the Free Society
Introduction I was invited to deliver remarks to the Philadelphia Society on the subject, “Giants on Whose Shoulders We Stand: What We Owe to…
Blog
GDP and the origins of prosperity
The United States is a wealthy and prosperous country. Historically, Americans have looked to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to measure their prosperity. GDP…
New legislation seeks to shuffle the deck chairs on the sinking No Surprises Act
On October 8, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) introduced the Lower Premiums, Faster Payments Act as a fix for the disastrous No Surprises Act (NSA).
Asking the right questions on inequality
A recent Congressional Budget Office report finds that inequality in America has declined slightly in recent years. Over at National Review, my colleague…
News
Meta ordered to pay $25 billion in consumer protection case: CEI analysis
On Wednesday, a New Mexico district court judge ordered tech giant Meta to pay a historic $25 billion civil penalty over its data…
CEI welcomes research fellow Alec Mena to Center for Advancing Capitalism
The Competitive Enterprise Institute welcomes Alec Mena as a research fellow in CEI’s Center for Advancing Capitalism. Mena most recently managed state government affairs…
Higher inflation in August as conflict overseas continues to affect domestic prices: CEI analysis
The Consumer Price Index report for August shows inflation increased 0.4 percent across all sectors, with one-third of the increase being attributed to…
Op-Eds
Civitas Outlook
What Fusion will we build?
Over the past decade, right-wing political rhetoric has begun to tilt away from the traditional equilibrium of small government, economic freedom, and personal virtue…
National Review
From Munitions Shortage to Ebola, Dodd–Frank Minerals Measure Makes Things Worse
A scan of news headlines warns readers of two seemingly unrelated dangers around the globe. One is a potential shortage of missiles, interceptors, and…
The Wall Street Journal
Don’t Expand Payroll Taxes for Social Security
In his column “Republicans’ Pre-Emptive Social Security Surrender” (Political Economics, Sept. 18), Joseph C. Sternberg makes a persuasive argument against expanding…
Staff & Scholars
Clyde Wayne Crews
Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies
- Business and Government
- Consumer Freedom
- Deregulation
Sam Kazman
Counsel Emeritus
- Antitrust
- Automobiles and Roads
- Banking and Finance
Paige Lambermont
Research Fellow
- Capitalism and Free Enterprise
- Energy
- Energy and Environment
Kent Lassman
President and CEO
- Capitalism
- Deregulation
- Innovation
Jessica Melugin
Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation
- Antitrust
- Innovation
- Media, Speech and Internet Freedoms
Alec Mena
Research Fellow
- Banking and Finance
- Capitalism and Free Enterprise
- Regulatory Reform
Richard Morrison
Senior Fellow
- Antitrust
- Business and Government
- Capitalism and Free Enterprise
Alex Reinauer
Research Fellow
- Antitrust
- Innovation
- Tech and Telecom
Ryan Young
Senior Economist and Director of Publications
- Antitrust
- Business and Government
- Regulatory Reform