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
Long Live Plastics
The London Museum is planning a special exhibit to mark the centennial of a material that was long denigrated–plastics. It will cover the massive importance…
Blog
And a good life it’s been
Featured today in Fark.com under the heading of “Hero” is a story to give Michael Jacobson nightmares, headlined “Bad habits key to…
Blog
Rachel Was Wrong
Today we launch our campaign urging people to rethink the legacy of environmentalist icon Rachel Carson, with the site www.RachelWasWrong.com. Today she’s mostly remembered…
Blog
A Colossal Tragedy
A story on today’s front page of the Washington Post highlights the life of Rachel Carson. While largely praising Carson, the author does note…
Blog
Trans Fats Banned
Montgomery County, Maryland, has just banned the use of trans fats in food preparation. Trans fats have been criticized on health grounds, but they…
Blog
Death By Regulation on Web Video
The Hill’s Congress Blog features Sam on video today, responding to moves on Capitol Hill (and this week’s announcement from the White House)…
Blog
Market Signal
It is a tenet of free market environmentalism that market signals provide information about the environment and its value. Therefore, when people stop buying beachfront…
Blog
CAFE klatsch
President Bush is set to address the nation this afternoon on plans to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, reports the Greenwire news service.
Blog
Bureaucrash’s Blaze of Glory
When it rains anti-anti-smoking indignation, it pours. In addition to Brooke’s press statement, Jason reminds me that Bureaucrash was hot on this MPAA/smoking tip…
Blog
These Foolish Things Remind Me of the MPAA
As Eli informed us this morning, the MPAA has caved into Big (anti-)Tobacco and decided to rate movies that include smoking by adults more…
Blog
Butt Out!
The Washington Post reports that the The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) will now give higher, more restrictive ratings to films that “that…
News Release
Statement on the MPAA and Smoking in Films
The MPAA’s decision to kowtow to the demands of professional anti-smoking advocates won’t do anything to discourage kids from smoking; the Motion Picture Association…
Blog
Cable News Grudge Match: Sam vs. Phil on CNBC
In case you missed him earlier today, here’s our very own Sam Kazman debating Phil Clapp of the National Environmental Trust on federal…
Blog
Even a Caveman…
A Canadian news site notes that activists have recently formed a new “lobby” group called “Prevent Cancer Now.” They want to alert the world…
Blog
Another Victim of the Nanny State
In the spirit of Friday afternoon, allow me to direct your attention to the sad demise of Sudan’s only married goat. Her name was…
Blog
KFC Lawsuit Thrown Out
A lawsuit against KFC for using trans fats in its fried chicken has been thrown out. In an appropriately sarcastic ruling, federal district…
Blog
Speed Limits. . . Don’t Need ‘Em
Some visitors coming to my home this morning complained of very slow traffic on the beltway at 10:00 a.m. Serious traffic this late in the…
Blog
From the Mouths of Babes: A Poetic Approach to Recycling
Yesterday's "How Did You Celebrate Earth Day?" post generated an unexpected response from Nishant Magar of the American Chemical Society. Apparently our friends at…
Blog
Regulated to Death
The New York Times has an interesting story on how federal privacy and disability-rights regulations may have helped pave the way for the Virginia…
Blog
Re: Guns in Virginia
Following up on Eli’s post below, the blog Classically Liberal (linked to from Freedom News Daily) notes that not only is…
News Release
FCC Should Approve the XM-Sirius Satellite Radio Merger
Contact: Richard Morrison, 202.331.2273 Washington, D.C., April 17, 2007—Today, as the…
Blog
More from Monbiot today
The Guardian columnist George Monbiot today has yet another article attacking global warming deniers — to wit: “There is climate change censorship – and…
Blog
Golf Carts and Safety
A front page article in today’s New York Times comments on the rise of electric carts around the country. Particularly in retirement communities, they’ve…
Blog
Adapting to the IPCC
The IPCC’s second summary report of the year is out. Working Group II’s report on Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability predicts a world…
Blog
Bailey on “Consensus”
Another former Brookes Fellow, Ron Bailey, writes in Reason today on green activists’ speaking out of both sides of their mouth when they say…
Blog
YouTube on fire with “Cigarette” song
These days even expressing ambiguity about cigarettes can put you in danger of the anti-smoking thought police. Conversing about the pleasure of smoking or the…
Blog
Climate Alarmism for Fun and Profit
Via Roger Pielke Jr, we have the unedifying spectacle of at least one leading IPCC scientist engaged in selling alarmist predictions of what…
Blog
Mitigating Factors
Roger Pielke Jr has posted a letter to his Prometheus website that he wrote in response to an op/ed by CEI Adjunct Fellow…
Blog
The poor are always with us (and enviros mean to keep it that way)
In Scotland and Australia, two places as far apart on the globe as you can get, people are realizing that rationing carbon is a socially…
Blog
Death by Regulation 2.0
A firefighter in the UK is facing suspension for breaking fire service regulations. His breach? Saving a drowning woman’s life: The brigade’s rules state: “Personnel…
Blog
Modern Prometheus
Norman Borlaug, the Nobel Peace Prize winning agronomist, will turn 93 on Sunday, March 25, 2007. It’s a birthday well worth celebrating. His life’s…
Blog
AP on the Nanny State
The AP has a very good article on the growth of the Nanny State. Best fact I didn’t know: two states have banned smoking…
Blog
Yes, But. . .
Fran, I knew about most of the cases you cite when I wrote the first post. None of those new to me are surprising and…
Blog
I don’t love Consumer Reports
Eli — I’ve enjoyed your postings on a range of topics. But on your most recent one, I’m going to take you on. You…
Blog
They call this privatization?
I argued in my Issue Analysis on the mistakes made during the privatization of Britain’s railroads that it was no longer accurate to call…
Blog
A Typical Government Response
Following a tragic bus accident over the weekend, Georgia has announced it will rework several highway exits to make them “safer.” The new measures, the…
Op-Eds
Land of the Fake Free
Item (a): Officials in Prince George’s County, Maryland, have proposed cracking down on truancy by strapping ankle bracelets on…
Op-Eds
What’s up with Nation’s 10 Worst Attorneys General?
WASHINGTON - In recent years, state attorneys general have become increasingly powerful. Using lawsuits as a weapon, they have transferred billions of dollars from businesses…
Blog
Where’s The Precautionary Principle When We Need It?
Today’s Wall Street Journal (link for subscribers) has a short piece in the B section noting how a new Bush Administration…
Op-Eds
Can Congress Tell a Virtual World from the Real One?
Some say online virtual reality operations like “Second Life” have attained the stage of evolution that blogging and the Internet itself occupied several years…
News Release
How Will Congress Respond to the State of the Union?
Contact: Richard Morrison, 202.331.2273…
Blog
FDA Animal Cloning Decision Comes Years Too Late
In an invited post on The Hill’s Congress Blog yesterday, I argued that the…
News Release
District Smoking Ban Threatens Economic Liberty
Contact: Christine Hall, (202) 331-2258 Washington, D.C., January 2, 2007 – The District of Columbia today became the newest city in…
Blog
Bear-baiting
CEI Adjunct Fellow Steve Milloy has more on the polar bear issue in his weekly must-read FoxNews column: “Let’s keep in mind that polar…
Blog
Taste and Trans fats
Nobel laureate Gary Becker has some thoughts on the New York City trans-fats ban (reflecting on comments by his co-blogger, Judge Richard Posner): “Posner…
Blog
Bear-faced Opportunism
With the bald eagle poised to come off the endangered species list (huzzah!), another species of charismatic megafauna is needed to replace it as…
Blog
Subsidies don’t work
A good story in the New York Times about how subsidies to domestic oil and gas producers are a waste of taxpayer dollars: Analysts…
Blog
TSA — Unsafe at Any Altitude
If you’re flying this holiday season, once you’re on board the plane — after getting through with the stripping of belt and shoes, the unfolding…
Blog
The tension between science and alarmism
Early last month, at about the time of the publication of the Stern Review with its inclusion of “catastrophe” in its analysis of the risks…
Blog
What do economists really think about global warming
Robert Whaples of Wake Forest University has the answer. He polled American economists and found: The results show that most economists are not alarmed…
