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
Consumers benefit from access to Buy Now, Pay Later options
In a rapidly evolving retail landscape, with more and more commerce moving online, there has been a rise of financial technology (or fintech) tools. These…
Blog
Congressional lessons learned: Prioritize private risk capital investment
There is always a temptation for Congress to act during a lame duck session to show it is hard at work doing good for the…
News Release
GDP report for third quarter indicates strengthened economy: CEI analysis
The GDP report for the third quarter of 2024 shows 2.8 percent growth, indicating a rapidly growing and healthy economy. While there is still…
Search Posts
Blog
This, however, is not satire
Last year, a British MP calculated that Santa Claus’ annual trip round the world was environmentally damaging: It has been calculated that Santa’s team…
Blog
Government leavin’ the yout’ on the shelf
When I was a young lad in northern England, there was much distress as the Thatcher government swallowed the bitter pill and proceeded to shut…
Blog
Model article
Excellent article from Ryan Meyer of the Center for Science, Policy and Outcomes at the University of Arizona on the inadequacies of models that…
Blog
DDT and Malaria: The Misanthropes Strike Back!
The recent decision by the World Health Organization to recommend selective indoor spraying to control malaria seemed to signal a recognition on the part of…
Blog
They Call It Conservation
You know all of those enviro activists who are constantly hectoring us about the amount of energy we use (and allegedly waste) here in the…
Blog
Oversize clothes need warning labels?
Here’s a contender for the Nanny-State story of the day: A British academic says that plus-size clothes should carry labels with obesity helpline numbers…
Blog
CEI makes Weather Channel’s “Top Ten” – greatest impact on climate change discussion
The Weather Channel today announced its “Top Ten” list — those people or organizations that have had the greatest impact on climate change discussions.
Blog
Incoming Judiciary chairman to defend privacy rights
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), perhaps more famous for his defense of the Vermont dairy industry and the Northeast Dairy Compact, is incoming chairman of…
Blog
REACH and the Perils of Precaution
Today, the European Parliament voted a final time on the new regulation of Europe’s chemical industry. With this vote the proposal is almost certain to…
Op-Eds
Top Ten Junk Science Moments for 2006
It’s time again for JunkScience.com’s review of the most notable junk science events of the year – a “top 10” list that may sometimes…
Op-Eds
Proposed trans fat ban based on a lot of junk science
Dear Chicago Restaurantgoer: Ald. Ed Burke (14th) proposed last July that the Chicago City Council ban restaurants from serving foods made with vegetable oils…
Blog
Affordable air travel? How dare you!
The UK government, which this week doubled air passenger duty to about $20 a flight in a sop to global warming alarmism, wants to go…
Blog
Eco-censorship continued
Two interesting posts on Roger Pielke Jr’s excellent and open-minded Prometheus blog today speak to the subject of my recent…
Blog
Miliband’s disingenuity
I should have drawn attention to this interesting phrasing in David Miliband’s enthusiasm for carbon rationing: “He said: ‘It is a way of pricing carbon…
Blog
Black marketeers rejoice at UK government plan
The UK government is seriously thinking of introducing individual carbon rationing: Every citizen would be issued with a carbon “credit…
Blog
Thanks, UN, for Shrinking My Carbon Footprint by 25%
The latest iteration on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report on global warming it being eagerly awaited. While we bide our time,…
Blog
Do global warming fears justify protectionism?
Ever since the United States decided to push for “sustainable development” concepts to limiit free trade under the Shrimp-Turtle decision (for internal political reason –…
Op-Eds
New York City Bans Science
The New York City Board of Health this week banned the use of trans fats by restaurants. The decision is directly traceable back to…
Blog
Congress votes highest civilian honor to Dr. Norman Borlaug
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to award a Congressional Gold Medal — the nation’s highest honor — to Dr. Norman Borlaug, credited…
Blog
When in the course of human events…
Seemingly forgetting about a little thing called the Declaration of Independence, Albert Gore Jr., former Vice President of the United States of America has joined…
Blog
Saudis to Sue Tobacco Companies
The Saudi government is threatening to sue American tobacco companies such as Philip Morris to force them to pay the healthcare costs of Saudi…
Blog
For Best Results, Drink Like a Sardinian
There’s more scientific evidence that moderate consumption of red wine is good for you: New research from the William Harvey Research Institute and…
Blog
Usual suspects make the list — environmentalists of all time
Dr. C.S. Prakash alerted me to yesterday’s list in The Guardian of the top environmental campaigners of all time. Not surprisingly, Rachel Carson tops…
Blog
Breast-Related Assurances from the First Lady of Illinois
Some Illinois political observers are raising their eyebrows about a stack of greeting cards that Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s office sent out before the…
Blog
Zimbabwe military wants “to listen” to make people safe
Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, with 25-plus years of dictatorship under his belt, is now cracking down on cell phones in the name of national…
Blog
Tony Bourdain: Recovering socialist
I’m a big fan of Tony Bourdain, but he describes himself as a socialist. At the same time, he clearly hates what the nanny state…
Blog
The Media Filter
Dr. Crippen, a doctor who has the misfortune to work in the British National Health Service, has an interesting story about the critical…
Blog
Freedom Fighting from the Kitchen
In the current issue of Doublethink, Baylen Linnekin, founder of the libertarian blog “To the People,” asks the burning question:…
Blog
The Green Revolution South of the Border
In his latest column, The Miami Herald‘s Andres Oppenheimer gives reason for hope for Latin America’s water supply challenges, and offers policy…
Blog
Why Check ‘n Go Is Not the Great Satan
Hot on the heels of John’s op-ed on credit cards fees (and the retailers who want price controls on them) comes a piece by…
Blog
Lake Woebegone Takes over Britain!
The classic motto of Garrison Keillor’s bucolic world — “where all the children are above average” — has now been adopted by David Cameron, leader…
Blog
They Know It When They Smell It
Here at Open Market, we’re big fans of Penn & Teller, particularly their emmy-nominated Showtime program, Bullshit! Our own Angela Logomasini was even a…
Blog
Keeping a Stiff Upper Lip on Climate Science
The global warming debate this week features a furious back-and-forth between our pal Al Gore and Christopher Monckton (a/k/a Viscount Mockton of Brenchley), a former…
Blog
Court Ensures Painful Death for Terminally Ill
Yesterday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals voted to vacate and rehear its Abigail Alliance v. Von Eschenbach decision, which would have required the…
Blog
Stern’s Critical Flaws
The Stern Review on the economics of climate change has come in for more criticism from experts in the field. Following Richard Tol, we…
Blog
Keeping an Eye on the CBS Legal Department
CBS is appealing new FCC indecency regulations (and fines) in court, arguing that the new rules run afoul of the First Amendment. Which, of…
Blog
Weighty Problem
As Brooke notes below, obesity has been tied to global warming. One of the lessons obesity campaigners drew from that study was that losing weight…
Blog
Fake Boobs and Phony Science
To follow up on a thread from yesterday, FDA’s decision to let silicon gel filled breast implants back on the market is noteworthy for two…
Blog
Terminal Shortage
When government controls everything, it necessarily has to ration it, which leads to shortages. It’s probably a toss-up at the moment as to which is…
Blog
God is Dead… Legally speaking, that is
Sir Simon Jenkins has a must-read column today on how the UK’s Health and Safety Executive has decided to abolish the…
Blog
Junk Food Blogging
Sandy Szwarc, a registered nurse, certified culinary professional, CEI friend, and all around good person, recently started a blog on the science of food —…
Blog
The Logic of Smoking Regulation: Your Apartment Is Now a Public Place
Dana Yates of the San Mateo, California Daily Journal brings us a bracing look at the future of tobacco regulation – a total ban…
Op-Eds
Trans Fat Hysteria Could Be Lawsuit Bonanza
The takeover of Congress by Democrats could result in a big payday for trial lawyers at the expense of the feckless food industry.
Op-Eds
Gambling with freedom
Your after-tax income belongs to you. You are free to spend it, invest it, waste it, burn it, or tithe it away—and none of…
Blog
Trans-Fatty Criminals
Elizabeth Whelan of ACSH has a great article on National Review Online today about the stupidity of banning trans-fats, as New York City and…
Blog
So the Government Dictating Broadcast Content is ‘Fair’?
Fans of free expression should hit up a piece in Human Events, by our very own John Berlau, on those misguided souls who…
Blog
Taking Tobacco to Court
In case you missed it, the Supremes are tackling a major tobacco/tort reform liability case this week. AP’s Mark Sherman has the story: The…
Blog
Turning Free Speech Upside Down
Thomas Jefferson once wrote that “to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and…
Blog
The Sweetest Urban Legend of All
Keeping the holiday theme going, we now turn to the perennial Halloween boogieman, the anonymous candy poisoner. For decades, parents have been warned to…
Blog
Kazman vs. Cupcake
CEI’s Sam Kazman had the quote of the day. It happened during a debate on CNBC’s Morning Call over whether NYC should ban restaurants from…
Blog
SEJ 2006: Open Source Journalism
There was yet more cool action from the Society of Environmental Journalists’ conference this afternoon as Amy Gahran and Adam Glenn explained…
Blog
Another doomsday report – Simon redux
Shades of Paul Ehrlich: WWF in a new report says that the earth cannot support its human population, especially those in the developed world…
Blog
The Newest Cell Phone Accessory: Lead Underpants
A new study out of the UK suggests that mobile phone radiation may be responsible for increased infertility in men. This observed decline in…
Blog
Small Government Hate Speech?
Craig Bannister of CNSNews just passed on a story out of Marquette University in which graduate student Stuart Distler was banned from displaying the…
Blog
Europe Takes a Stab at the Multimedia Revolution
Sometimes, a regulatory idea comes along that is so stupid and offensive, one assumes it couldn’t actually be real. “Who could possibly think this is…
Blog
Update: Foley to Move to Amsterdam, Run for Parliament
News out of the Netherlands this week is bearing an odd parallel to DC’s most talked about scandal involving a now-former Congressman from…
Blog
Rachel Carson Lied, Millions Died
We were all happy to see the World Health Organization finally take steps to embrace wider anti-malarial deployment of DDT, but our…
Blog
Lockyer: SUVs Don’t Kill People, Car Companies Kill People
California’s attorney general has sued carmakers DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, Ford and subsidiaries of Honda, Nissan and Toyota for global warming impacts…
Blog
DDT to the Rescue
In an extraordinarily good development, the World Health Organization has officially called for greater use of DDT around the world in order to combat…
Blog
Senators on 9/11 movie – “Public interest” is what makes us look good
No matter what anyone thought of the ABC’s “The Path to 9/11,” the actions of certain senators who objected to the miniseries should…
Op-Eds
Ignoring Limits on Harassment Liability
Back in 1999, in Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education, the Supreme Court laid down a test for when sexual harassment rises to…
Op-Eds
The High Cost of Petitioning
A radical pro-affirmative action group, By Any Means Necessary (BAMN), joined by Detroit’s mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, have filed a Voting Rights Act…
Op-Eds
A License To Complain
Last Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that a worker alleging retaliation for complaining about discrimination may sue even if she has not suffered a…
Op-Eds
Politics Nixed In Cancer Stick Flick
When Christopher Buckley’s novel Thank You for Smoking came out in 1994 it was a surprising satire of the vilification of the tobacco…
Op-Eds
Low-Fat Diet Myth Busted
The widely-believed notion that low-fat diets are good for your health went “poof” this week—although the busting of that myth shouldn’t be news to…
Citation
Tobacco Deal-Breaker?
Study
The Nationalization of Basic Science
Full Document Available in PDF The National Institutes of Health (NIH)…
Study
The Revolution Spins toward More Regulation
Full document available in pdf format. …
News Release
Fast Food Obesity Lawsuit Threatens Consumers, Rule of Law
Contact for Interviews: Richard Morrison, 202.331.2273 Washington, D.C., January 26, 2004—Yesterday’s reinstatement of the obesity liability lawsuit against McDonald’s resurrects…
News Release
Time to End “Mad Cow” Madness
Washington, D.C., December 1, 2004—The Competitive Enterprise Institute joins President Bush in calling for an end to the unnecessary and harmful ban on importation of…
Op-Eds
Demonize – Then Pulverize
Ten years ago last May, a new type of lawsuit was filed against the tobacco industry. That industry was no stranger to lawsuits; since the…
Products
Nanotech’s Choice: Pork or Innovation?
Op-Eds
They’re Coming for Your Shrimp
H.L. Mencken famously defined Puritanism as "the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." Yesterday’s puritans worried about their neighbors enjoying alcohol or gambling…
Op-Eds
Should the Government Fund Nanotechnology Research?
Full article available as pdf. …
Op-Eds
We Eat Only What We Choose To (Letter to the Editor)
To answer John Gapper’s question (“Who would be in Neville Isdell’s shoes?”) in his article “How to get fat on a healthy diet” (May 11),…
Comment
Freedom of Information or Right to Terrorize? Limiting the Risks of Government-Mandated Information
Full Document Available in PDF…
News Release
The Politics Behind Pesticides and the West Nile Virus
In a new study published by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, author Angela Logomasini exposes how environmental activists are opposing vital efforts to combat the deadly…
Op-Eds
End Subsidies for Nanotechnology
Op-Eds
Everybody Wants to Rule the Web
There’s mounting evidence that the Internet’s good old days as a global cyberzone of freedom—where governments generally take a “hands off” approach—may be numbered.
Op-Eds
Resentment, fear drive U.N. quest for control
There’s mounting evidence that the Internet’s good old days as a global cyberzone of freedom—where governments generally take a "hands off" approach—may be numbered.
Op-Eds
Recent Research Suggests…
There has been a great deal of ballyhoo this week over the decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to require food products…
Citation
Trade War Looms as US Launches Challenge Over Transgenic Crops
Op-Eds
When Molecules Fly
Should the federal government fund scientific research with taxpayer dollars? Boondoggles like the Superconducting Supercollider, the space station, energy research programs, the Supersonic…
Citation
New Rules May Be Challenged
Comment
CEI’s Angela Logomasini Testifies Before The Consumer Product Safety Commission On The Use Of Chromated Copper Arsenate In
Comments of Angela Logomasini, Director of Risk and Environmental Policy, Competitive Enterprise Institute Before the Consumer…
Citation
Groups Challenge Ban on Health-Claims Labels
News Release
FDA’s Pediatric Rule Challenged in Federal Lawsuit
A physicians’ association and two public interest groups today filed suit in federal court challenging the validity of the Food and Drug Administration’s “Pediatric Rule.”…
Op-Eds
A Turkey of a Regulation
Corn — or maize as the Indians called it — has always been part of Thanksgiving tradition. But this year, many Americans have found that…
Op-Eds
Impossible Claims for Tobacco Controls (Letter to the Editor)
From Dr Roger Bate. Sir, Last week in Geneva the World Health Organisation started down the road to a Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Op-Eds
Weed Control has Caused Skylark’s Decline (Letter to the Editor)
From Mr Gregory Conko. Sir, Your article “Bird numbers `under threat’ from GM crops” (September 1) reported on a study in the current issue of…
Op-Eds
Resistance Dropping Toward Biotech Foods
In spite of an ill-considered, anti-progress publicity campaign from left wing self-appointed consumer and environmental groups, the New Green Revolution based on genetic engineering is…
Op-Eds
Canada Misses a Fat Chance: Henry Miller Op-Ed in the National Post
Published in the National Post (Canada) July 25, 2000 Canadian regulators’ decision to ban the fat substitute olestra runs against both…
Op-Eds
Regulations Stunt the Growth of Agricultural Biotech
Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman gave what he intended to be a strongly pro-biotechnology speech July 13, predicting that biotechnological solutions would help to “create…
Op-Eds
It’s All About The Money
From pediatric disease to profit center — that, in a nutshell, is how smoking has changed in the eyes of the anti-tobacco warriors. In 1995,…
Citation
Former Federal Health Expert Weighs In On Moderate Alcohol Consumption
News Release
Another Smoking Gun: Institute Opposes New Tobacco Settlement
Washington, D.C. November 17, 1998—The Competitive Enterprise Institute today announced its opposition to the latest tobacco settlement, calling it an affront to both individual…
Citation
Toasting the merits of moderate alcohol
Study
Anti-Gambling Politics – Time to Reshuffle the Deck
Full Document Available in PDF Legalized gambling in the United…
