The Competitive Enterprise Institute believes the proper role for government is to provide consumers with accurate, unbiased guidance that informs consumer choice. But, whether it is the substances we prefer, how we entertain ourselves, what dietary habits we maintain, or how we pursue personal health, consumers ought to have the right to make decisions for themselves.
Consumer Freedom Issue Areas
Featured Posts
Blog
CFPB breaks its stranglehold over adjudications
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) just announced that it will revise its adjudication rules to ensure greater fairness. Specifically, the CFPB is rescinding…
Blog
Katie Porter’s exchange with CFPB’s Kraninger revisited amid new revelations
A recently surfaced clip of former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) has sparked a firestorm online. In a newly revealed 2021 video revealed published by…
Blog
The week in regulations: Poultry improvement and painful scars
The federal government shut down on Wednesday. Thursday’s Federal Register had 60 final regulations; normal is about 10. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew in hundreds…
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Comment
Comments of the Competitive Enterprise Institute Regarding Food and Drug Administration and Food Safety Inspection Service Approaches to Reducing Sodium Consumption
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) appreciates the opportunity to submit these comments regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s and Food Safety Inspection Service’s Approaches to…
Legal Newsline
Watchdog, State AGs Target Four Loko Agreement
Blog
Is the Four Loko/FTC Settlement on the Rocks?
If you're a regular reader of OpenMarket.org, then you know we at CEI have written quite a bit on the issue of Four Loko.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 200: Flying Food
Millions of Americans are taking to the skies to spend time with their families over Thanksgiving. Many of them will be carrying leftovers on their…
Blog
CEI Podcast for November 23, 2011: The Most Expensive Regulation of All Time?
What is the single most expensive regulation of all time? Energy Policy Analyst William Yeatman has one candidate: the EPA’s proposal to regulate mercury emissions…
Blog
Amtrak Bans 12-Year-Old Unaccompanied Child Riders
In Japan, 6-year-old children are not only allowed to ride the train by themselves, but are eligible for a special fare. Not so in America,…
Legal Newsline
Washington Offers Lessons for Michigan Alcohol Law Reform
Imagine walking into your local wine, liquor or beer shop and finding all of your favorite brands on sale — permanently. This could be the…
Blog
Alcohol Regulation Roundup: Turkey Day Edition
As Thanksgiving quickly approaches many hosts and hostesses are scratching their heads about what drinks to pair with their meal items. The Washington Post…
Blog
Sen. Hagan Bill Would Expand Accelerated Drug Approval
According to Bloomberg News, North Carolina Democratic Senator Kay Hagan is set to introduce a bill that would create new “progressive”…
Blog
Retailers Won’t Destroy Thanksgiving
Every holiday season features a slew of laughable articles denouncing the destruction of American tradition. Meghan Cox Gurdon’s piece in The Washington Examiner today…
Blog
Farm Bill Negotiated In Secrecy
The Hill reports that a new “secret Farm Bill” will be included with the super committee’s debt deal. As The Hill points out, legislators…
Comment
Government Plans To Ban E-Cigarettes Opposed by Public Interest Groups
Full Document Available in PDF The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives and the Competitive Enterprise…
Blog
Obama Administration Promotes Panic Over “Bullying” To Incite Attacks on Students’ Rights and Well-Being
Obama administration officials call bullying an “epidemic” and a “pandemic.” But in reality, bullying and violence have steadily gone down in the nation’s schools,…
Study
Green Chemistry’s March of the Ostriches
Popular myths about man-made chemicals cause lawmakers to bury their heads in the sand and support restrictive regulations that do not realistically address risks to…
American Council on Science and Health
Attack of the Killer Cosmetics?
News Release
Government Plan to Ban E-Cigarettes on Airplanes Opposed by Public Interest Groups
Washington, DC, November 15, 2011 – The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association and the Competitive Enterprise Institute together filed comment to the Department…
Blog
What’s in My Makeup Bag? — Junkscience
The Oregon Environmental Council and the regional government for the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area recently released a survey of young women regarding their personal…
Blog
Alcohol Regulation Roundup: Beer for Our Soldiers Edition
Not to overshadow the once-in-100-year numerically sequenced date, but today is also Veterans' Day. This isn't a great way to get free drinks at the bar…
Arizona Daily Sun
Lawmakers Who Ban Plastics Talking Trash
The past several years have seen a groundswell of bans on plastics — from plastic bags to foam cups. The rationales for such policies…
Arizona Daily Sun
Freedom Equals Money: New York State Shows how Freedom in Wine Shipping Benefits Consumers and State Coffers
Prior to 2005, several states took a lopsided approach to regulating the shipment of wine within their borders. They allowed in-state wineries and retailers to…
Free Republic
Commentary: Michigan’s Keg Tracking Won’t Stop Underage Drinking
Blog
Cheers to Washington State Voters
Yesterday, Washington State voters passed an initiative to privatize spirit sales and facilitate a more open market. It essentially breaks up the state’s mandatory…
Blog
Smokers’ Opportunity to Quit Smoking Opposed by Blinkered Anti-Tobacco Zealots
As The New York Times' John Tierney notes, a tool to quit smoking and save lives is being blocked by anti-tobacco zealots: If you…
Blog
Liquor Privatization Would Edge Washington State Toward Freedom
Today voters in Washington State will finally have their say in whether or not to get the state out of the business of selling liquor.
Free Republic
Michigan’s Keg Tracking Won’t Stop Underage Drinking
Few people will argue against preventing underage drinking. Michigan’s new keg registration law, however, an attempt to trace the buyers of kegs that end up…
Blog
Obama Administration Contributes to Life-Threatening Drug Shortages Even as it Decries Them
In a recent column, Michelle Malkin explained how Obamacare price controls, FDA and DEA rules, and Obama administration policies have contributed to shortages of…
Blog
CEI Podcast for November 3, 2011: Scary Makeup
Senior Fellow Angela Logomasini debunks scare stories that chemicals in makeup and other household products cause cancer, neurological disorders, birth defects, and other health problems.
Blog
Washington State Alcohol Intiative Takes on Three-Tier Mandates
Action this Election Day in Washington State may send tremors across America by cracking open the anti-consumer, anti-competitive alcohol regulations in that state. Initiative…
Blog
The War on Ladies’ Night
Let's face it: If you're the proprietor of a bar that caters to a predominantly heterosexual crowd, it's in your financial interest to attract female…
Blog
Alcohol Regulation Roundup: November 2, 2011
A round up of the interesting booze-related news stories from around the nation. Hint: the two best are at the end. National: Our nation’s…
Michigan Capitol Confidential
Election Day Alcohol Tremors?
If you live in Michigan, you can’t order online from wine retailers in other states, at least not if you want the wine shipped…
Blog
New Jersey Voters Likely to Support Legalizing Sports Betting
In just one week, New Jersey voters will have their say on whether or not the state should pursue legalizing sports betting. According to…
Michigan Capitol Confidential
Liquor Delivery Changes Needed
While former Detroit Police Chief Jerry Oliver is correct that Prohibition was a failure (“Don’t change state’s liquor delivery system,” Oct. 13), it does…
Michigan Capitol Confidential
Dying to Grow?
We are constantly bombarded with information about the purported risks or protective effects of one or another food, dietary supplement, chemical, drug, or activity. In…
Blog
Biotechnology’s 29th Anniversary!
Twenty-nine years ago tomorrow, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s and Genentech’s Humulin, making it the first ever fully…
Blog
Hyper-Active Headlines on BPA
The journal Pediatics recently published findings from a research study suggesting that children exposed to the chemical bisphenol A (aka, BPA, which is a…
Blog
Beware of Asking FDA to Change Itself
Every five years, Congress must reauthorize a piece of legislation called the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), which gives the…
Blog
The House Considers Legalizing Online Gambling
Defenders of online gambling testified before the House today to beg for their right to gamble legally. Poker Players Alliance Chairman (and former U.S.
Blog
Alcohol Regulation Roundup: Ale-oween Edition
National: Phusion Projects, the makers of the now-infamous alcoholic energy drink Four Loko, have reportedly reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Blog
Senate Bill Would Further Undermine Due Process on Campus
Historically, most colleges used a "clear and convincing" evidence standard in student and faculty discipline cases, to safeguard due process. As Nicholas Trott Long noted in…
Michigan Capitol Confidential
Seeing Double Regulation
When asked to name the most controversial medical issues of the day, few people would pick eye care. However, in the past half-century, eye…
Blog
Public Interest Groups Challenge Misleading Government Information Used to Justify Ethanol Mandates and Subsidies
Recently, ActionAid USA and CEI filed a correction request under the Data Quality Act targeting misleading claims made by the EPA regarding the effects…
Blog
Alcohol Myths Persist Beyond Prohibition
In a recent article for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, I make the case that many elements of Prohibition did not fade away…
Michigan Capitol Confidential
New Tax on Jack Daniel’s Could Come Back to Haunt Company Town
About an hour and a half drive south of Nashville is the small town of Lynchburg, Tenn. You probably haven’t heard of it unless you’re…
Michigan Capitol Confidential
Let States Legalize Online Gambling to Stimulate the Economy
The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction—the Super Committee—is soon expected to present its proposals to cut the deficit by $1.5 trillion. There is speculation…
Blog
Protectionism is not a Constitutional Principle
Last week, the National Beer Wholesalers Association President Craig Purser, who happens to be a former colleague of mine, had an article in The…
Washington Times
Wholesale Deception
Beer wholesalers contend that alcohol legislation they are pushing on Capitol Hill would safeguard state and local rights – but in reality, it is…
Washington Times
Do Cosmetics Really Cause Cancer?
Washington Times
The EWG Provides Food for (No) Thought
Study
The True Story of Cosmetics
Many environmental groups want to rid the world of synthetic chemicals. Now they are at war with your makeup.
