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
Study
Toward a Renewed and Improved USMCA
Cross-border trade in North America has been an engine of prosperity for the United States, Mexico, and Canada. But the agreement governing…
Blog
New CEI paper: Renewing and improving the USMCA
Trade agreements are not as dramatic as trade wars, but they are essential to sound trade policy. President Trump’s tariffs have harmed the domestic…
DC Journal
‘A Complete Train Wreck’: Consumer Groups Push Back on Rail Safety Bill
CEI’s Iain Murray, vice president for strategy and senior fellow was quoted by DC Journal regarding the Railway Safety Act. And adding…
Search Posts
Blog
Potato Diet Improves Man’s Health; Obama Administration Bans Potatoes from WIC Program
Chris Voigt lost 21 pounds and improved his health by living on a potato-only diet for 60 days. Potatoes are more nutritious…
Citation
December 23 roundup
Blog
Alcohol Regulatory Roundup: December 21st
Maryland: Lawmakers will likely pass a measure next year allowing direct shipping of wine to Maryland residents. Vineyards, especially smaller wine makers, claim that…
Study
Let Market Forces Regulate Internet Gambling
Full Document Available in PDF Americans like to gamble; in 48 states they…
Blog
Alcohol Regulatory Roundup: December 20, 2010
While most lawmakers have checked out for the holiday vacation already (mentally and/or physically), there are still some movers and shakers out there getting frothed…
Blog
Congress Set to Fail Online Poker Players
As I have written about before, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) introduced a bill earlier this month that would legalize a limited form of online…
Blog
Food Safety Modernization Act Passes; Unconstitutional Provision Supposedly Removed
The Food Safety Modernization Act was passed again by Congress on Sunday, apparently without a provision that earlier drew criticism for violating the Constitution by having a…
Op-Eds
Alcohol Rules Disrupt Holiday Cheer
Appeared in: The Providence Journal You might want to send a beautifully packaged wine and cheese gift basket to friends in New York State.
Blog
Judicial Hellholes Kill Jobs and Redistribute Wealth
The most recent list of judicial hellholes has just been released by the American Tort Reform Association. It lists “courts in Philadelphia; California’s Los Angeles…
Blog
Pennsylvania State Lottery Commission Opposes Internet Gambling
When a government agency is threatened, it will inevitably lash out in efforts to keep the government jobs safe and the tax money flowing. This…
Blog
Nanny-Statist CSPI Sues to Ban Happy Meals at McDonald’s
An ill-informed left-wing group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, is suing McDonald’s in California to ban toys from Happy…
Citation
Happy Meal Lawsuit, cont’d
Blog
Should Obamacare Be Struck Down In Its Entirety Rather Than Just Having Its Unconstitutional Parts Severed?
In his ruling striking down Obamacare’s individual mandate (requirement that people buy health insurance), Judge Hudson in Richmond declined to strike down the rest…
Legal Brief
Antitrust Amicus Curiae Brief Supporting CEI’s Challenge to the 1998 Tobacco Settlement
Full Document Avalible in PDF On December 10, 2010, five law professors filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in…
Legal Brief
Constitutional Law Amicus Curiae Brief Supporting CEI’s Challenge to the 1998 Tobacco Settlement
Full Document Avalible in PDF On December 10, 2010, prominent constitutional law experts from opposite ends of the political spectrum submitted an…
Blog
Once Again, the Terrorists Win
All it takes to turn the tables is a bit of common sense. Unfortunately, that may be asking too much.
Blog
An Update on State Alcohol Regulations
Here is another installment in the roundup of news regarding the weird and wacky state of alcohol regulation in the U.S.: California: The “sangria…
Blog
CEI Podcast — December 15, 2010: Alcohol Regulations Across the Country
Michelle Minton, CEI's Director of Insurance Studies, takes a whirlwind tour of alcohol regulations across the country.
Blog
Is Obamacare’s Government Healthcare Takeover a “Civil Right”?
Doug Powers takes aim at the silly argument by the Obama administration that opposing Obamacare is analogous to opposing basic civil rights. As he…
Blog
Reactions to Court Ruling Striking Down Part of Obamacare in Virginia v. Sebelius
Yesterday, a federal judge in Richmond struck down Obamacare’s requirement that individuals buy health insurance. Cato Institute’s Ilya Shapiro reacts to the decision…
Blog
The Day Four Loko Died
Last month, when Phusion Projects announced they were removing caffeine from their popular alcoholic-energy drink Four Loko, they told the FDA that “original recipe”…
Blog
Alcohol Regulation Roundup
As alcohol regulations vary state-by-state and constantly shifting here is a quick roundup of booze news from around the states: In federal news, following…
Blog
V.A. Judge Rules Against Obama’s Health Care Law
A Virginia federal judge has declared federal health care legislation unconstitutional. In response to the decision, which was handed down earlier today, CEI General…
Blog
TSA’s Bad Policies Aren’t Going Away
Public outrage at the TSA's new policies has died down. That's a real shame, because people are still having experiences like this one.
Blog
Ruling in Virginia’s Challenge to Obamacare Individual Mandate Expected Today
A ruling in Virginia’s constitutional challenge to Obamacare’s individual mandate is expected later today. The Competitive Enterprise Institute joined in an amicus brief filed…
Blog
New Fast Food Restaurants Banned in South Los Angeles
New fast-food restaurants are now banned in South Los Angeles. Say goodbye to many entry-level jobs in that poor urban area. The cockamamie idea behind this ban is…
Blog
Energy Drink Ban? What’s Next?
Lynne Nowick, a legislator in Suffolk County, New York, wants to ban energy drinks for anyone under the age of 19 years old. Why?…
The New American
Harry Reid Pushing to Legalize Online Gambling
The New American
McDonald’s Obesity Class Action Dismissed
Washington Times
Cigarette warnings to be more graphic?
Blog
Wine and Cheese Gift Baskets: Illegal in New York State
Here’s a whole new spin to “assembly required.” It is against New York State law to ship wine and cheese in one box, basket, or…
Blog
Court Rejects Obesity Class-Action Against McDonald’s
A New York court has refused to certify a class-action lawsuit against McDonald’s by people claiming it made them obese. As Ted Frank notes,…
Blog
Child-Snatching to Reap Federal Funds: The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997
An article called “The 7 Most Horrifying Cost-Cutting Measures of All Time” decries the role of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997…
Washington Times
Legalizing Online Gambling Is A No-Brainer
Sometimes things do change in Washington, often unexpectedly. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, once an opponent of online gambling, is now circulating draft legislation to…
Pokerati
Conservatives Beginning to Embrace iPoker?
Blog
CEI Podcast — December 8, 2010: What’s Driving Ethanol Subsidies
CEI Research Associate Brian McGraw takes a look at what's behind the federal government's multi-billion dollar subsidies for ethanol.
Blog
Small Brewers’ Big Mistake in Colorado
In Colorado, the only place one can purchase alcoholic beverages over a strength of 3.2 percent alcohol by volume to take home is in a…
publication:http://calvinayre.com/2010/12/08/legal/will-reid-online-poker-bill-win-congressional-pot/
Will ‘Harrah’ Reid’s Online Poker Bill Win the Congressional Pot?
publication:http://calvinayre.com/2010/12/08/legal/will-reid-online-poker-bill-win-congressional-pot/
Sniffing out injustice
publication:http://calvinayre.com/2010/12/08/legal/will-reid-online-poker-bill-win-congressional-pot/
Was Prohibition Repealed?
This Sunday, December 5, many people will raise their glasses and celebrate Repeal Day — the anniversary of the end of Prohibition, a day when…
Blog
Sunday Brunch in New York City
You can find a lot in New York City that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. But if you’re in New York and…
Blog
Let Ethanol Tax Credit and Tariff Expire — Congress “Can Do Good Just by Doing Nothing”
CEI colleague Marlo Lewis skewers the ethanol tax credit and the tariff, due to expire at year-end. Lewis points out that letting the 45¢…
Blog
Senate Leaders Violate Constitution in Pushing Through Costly Food Safety Modernization Act
The House and Senate passed different versions of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which would ratchet up costly regulations of farms and food processing. (Greg…
Blog
Homeland Security Violating Due Process and Free Speech In Internet Power Grab?
Law professor David Post notes that the Department of Homeland Security is seizing entire domain names, not to protect national security, but to enforce…
Blog
Colorado to Ban Light & Low-Calorie Beer in Bars?
Next year bars and dine-in restaurants in Colorado might be forced by law to stop selling light, low-calorie, and low-alcohol beers. Any beer…
Blog
It’s World AIDS Day; Is it the “Forgotten Epidemic”?
World AIDS Day has rolled around again, amid charges by C. Everett Koop that “HIV is no longer on the public’s radar screen, and…
Before It's News
NJ Online Bill Could Ruffle WTO Feathers
Blog
CEI Podcast — November 30, 2010: Food Safety, Washington-Style
CEI Senior Fellow Greg Conko looks at the major provisions of the food safety bill that the Senate is voting on today.
Blog
Naked Body Scanners — Coming to a Neighborhood Near You!
Well, you can forget the airports-only naked body scanners — they’re now coming to a neighborhood near you. Forbes reports that…
Calvin Nayre