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
This week in ridiculous regulations: flax revenue and female test dummies
President Trump announced reciprocal tariffs. At this point it is uncertain how they would be implemented. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from butterfat testing to…

Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Clothes dryers and nuclear reactors
It was a slow week for the Federal Register and a busy week for everything else. President Trump announced 25 percent blanket tariffs against Canada…

Blog
Congressional Review Act can cancel three bad appliance regs
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) is the easiest way for Congress to block some of the bad regulations enacted under the Biden administration. A resolution…
Search Posts
Watchdog.org
Free-market coalition urges Sessions, Pence to oppose online gambling ban
Watchdog.org reports on CEI’s coalition letter to the Vice President-elect and U.S. Attorney General nominee on an online gambling ban. Following attorney general…
Reason.com
Is Jeff Sessions Ready to Ban Internet Gambling by DOJ Fiat?
Reason.com discusses Jeff Sessions’ comments on an online gambling ban at his confirmation hearing. There is nothing at all “shocking” about that position,…
Blog
Best of the Blog 2016
Certain topics were especially popular with readers in 2016.
Blog
New Opportunities for a Free Market Veteran
After 23 years Greg Conko, who most recently served as CEI’s Executive Director, has decamped for the other side of the Potomac.
Blog
A New Year’s Toast to Whiskey
New Year’s Eve is a world-wide celebration. Across the globe, people will welcome the coming year with their own unique traditions, and the people of…
Blog
The ‘Fake News’ Problem: Health and Safety Edition
The moniker “fake news” may have entered the mainstream lexicon in 2016, but phony and misleading news stories have always been a problem—and it’s a…
Blog
Congress Should Target Unaccountable EPA Programs
The newly elected congressional majority should be ready and willing to help implement President elect-Donald Trump’s promise to tackle onerous regulations. But what about so…
Blog
TSA Deserves a Lump of Coal
The TSA’s widely unpopular body scanners lead many would-be air travelers to take to the much more dangerous highways instead, where some number of them…
Blog
Must-Have Gifts for America’s Wish List
It isn’t Christmas Day yet, much to the chagrin of impatient youngsters, but it’s already time for America to put together a wish list for…
Beverage Industry Today
Health Benefits of Alcohol Defended
Blog
Five Ways CFPB Regulations Harm the Middle Class
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was set up in 2010 to “make consumer financial markets work for consumers, responsible providers, and the economy as…
Daily Caller
Constitutional Stakes Are High In New Jersey’s Sports-Gambling Case
Against all odds, Americans elected Donald Trump—a casino mogul, among other things—as its 45th President. In the aftermath of this surprising election, the Supreme Court…
Investor's Business Daily
How Can You Tell A Good Trump Pick? By The Establishment Freakout
Investor's Business Daily discusses regulatory delays in the FDA drug approval process with Sam Kazman. It is true that few drugs are "safe,"…
Blog
FDA’s Sodium Plan Would Continue Four Decades of Failed Policy
Hypertension, which is chronically elevated blood pressure, effects about 70 million Americans, putting them at an increased risk for developing heart disease or having a…
Reason
FDA Salt Guidance Could Kill More People Than It Saves
Reason.com reports on CEI's comments on the Food and Drug Administration's proposed guidance for sodium in prepared foods. The free-market think tank, the…
Comment
CEI Comments to the FDA on Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals
View full document as PDF The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Food and Drug Administration’s Draft…
Products
Free to Prosper: Food, Drugs and Consumer Freedom
Read the full chapter on Food, Drugs and Consumer Freedom here Few matters are as important to consumers as the foods they eat, the medicines…
Blog
The New Congress Should Repeal All Energy Efficiency Mandates
As part of its new agenda for January, Congress should repeal every energy-efficiency mandate on the books, ranging from Corporate Average Fuel Economy…
Townhall
Trump Could Fight Zika with Regulatory Reform
President-elect Donald Trump has promised that he will focus on reversing an expanding federal regulatory burden. As part of that agenda, he should address regulatory…
Blog
Supreme Court Can Save America by Taking a Gamble on Sports Betting
America is a betting nation, and last Tuesday we elected something of a wild card to be our next Commander in Chief.
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: The Nanny State Down Under and the Robot Revolution
In this week’s episode, Topher Field discusses lifestyle regulation madness Down Under and Katherine Mangu-Ward ushers in the robot revolution.
Blog
Fight Zika with Smarter Pesticide Rules
Last month, Congressional lawmakers set aside partisan disagreements and agreed to dole out $1.1 billion to combat the spread of the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus.
Blog
Audience Reactions to “I, Whiskey”
Since releasing the new film I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit last month, we’ve had an excellent response from people around the country.
Study
Regulatory Hurdles Impede Zika Control
View Full Document as PDF Ever since the discovery that the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus can cause serious birth defects, policy makers have…
Huffington Post
Activists Wage War on Women’s Personal Care Choices
I suspect most women would agree that when you find a skin care product that works, you stick with it. But activist groups are waging…
Blog
Obamacare Increases Premiums, Reduces Employment
Health care insurance premiums will increase significantly next year as a result of the Affordable Care Act, and many consumers will be left with access…
ESPN
Future of sports betting: the pitfalls
ESPN discusses legalizing sports gambling with Michelle Minton. "The issue of sports integrity is something that always comes up," said Michelle Minton, consumer…
Blog
Self-Driving Car Developers Blast Dangerous Draft California Regulations
Today, the California Department of Motor Vehicles held a public workshop on its latest draft deployment regulations for autonomous vehicles.
Blog
FDA Taking Public Comment on Ill-Advised Sodium Reduction Plan
The Food and Drug Administration wants to help Americans lower sodium intake to reduce rates of hypertension and associated problems like heart disease, stroke, and…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: American Cuisine and Whiskey
This week on RealClear Radio Hour, Paul Freedman and Rick Wasmund treat us to delicious courses of American cuisine and whiskey.
Blog
WARNING: BPA Warning Labels Threaten Public Health
The state of California has extended an emergency rule that allows companies to wait until January 2017 before placing a warning on the label of…
Blog
The Inspiration Behind the New Film “I, Whiskey”
I think it can be said all films have an unexpected Genesis, an unlikely, improbable trajectory. I, Whiskey was no exception.
Investor's Business Daily
‘I, Whiskey’: Free Markets And The Human Spirit
In a political season that's seen a lot of skepticism about big business and trade, it can be good to step back and remind…
Blog
Early Reviews Are in for “I, Whiskey”
The long wait is over – CEI has released the full version of the new film I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit online.
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Transcending Bipartisanship, Money, and Politics
In this episode of RealClear Radio Hour, Avik Roy outlines his strategy for bipartisan health care reform and Lee Goodman laments the increasing political attacks…
Blog
Join the National “I, Whiskey” Watch Party
Please join us and other friends nationwide on October 19th for a viewing of the new short film I, Whiskey: The Human Spirit.
Cato Journal
Review of “Markets without Limits”
Are there some things that should be beyond the market, that is, which should not be permitted to be bought and sold? Jason Brennan and Peter Jaworski…
Blog
Reform of “Toxic Substance” Rules Could Increase Health Risks
Although it was not unwarranted for safety reasons (as I detailed before), TSCA reform has granted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) greater power to remove…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Sensible Science and Authenticity
On this week’s RealClear Radio Hour, Tracey Brown weighs risk, reward, and science, and Glenn Carroll describes authenticity’s paradox.
Blog
Senate Democrats Block Anti-Zika Bill Yet Again
Democrats in the Senate have blocked a bill that would have provided federal funds to combat the spread of the Zika virus, reports The Hill.
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: American Indian, EpiPen, and Free Speech Fiascos
In this episode of RealClear Radio Hour, we discuss the fiascos of government overreach and overregulation—on American Indian reservations, in the EpiPen saga, and with…
Foundation for Economic Education
Greatest Hits of the Science Deniers
"And yet, it moves.” Thus muttered Galileo Galilei under his breath after being forced by the Inquisition to recant his claim that the Earth moved…
Blog
CEI Files Opening Brief in “Vapes on a Plane” Lawsuit
Today, CEI filed its opening brief against the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of the Secretary of Transportation’s March final rule prohibiting electronic cigarette…
Politico
FTA blasts WMATA inspection practices
Politico's Morning Transportation reports on CEI's legal challenge of the Department of Transportation's rule banning electronic cigarettes on airplanes. The libertarian Competitive Enterprise…
Blog
Q&A on the FDA’s New E-Cigarette Rules
After years of waiting and fighting, the new rules put forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on electronic cigarettes and other non-cigarette…
Newsday
How many Americans will die because of the FDA’s vaping rule?
E-cigarettes could lead to a 21 percent decline in deaths from smoking-related diseases for people born after 1997, according to a study published in Nicotine…
Blog
Don’t Fear DEET-Based Insect Repellents
With the Zika virus now reportedly being transmitted by mosquitos here in the United States, consumers—expecting moms, kids, and everyone else--should be sure to use…
The Huffington Post
The Best Possible Zika Prevention Kit Includes DEET
Last week, Broward Country Florida recorded the first two Zika cases transmitted by mosquitos in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
Blog
Happy “No Food Is Junk Food” Day 2016!
I can’t stand candy corn. Yes, I’m that person in the office at Halloween.
Real Clear Policy
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Science
Consuming butter does not increase the risk of heart disease, a recent study found. Those who believed in the accuracy of U.S. government dietary…
Blog
Letter to Congress: Experts Urged House to Reject Mandatory GMO Labeling Bill
In advance of a House vote on July 14 concerning mandatory GMO labeling, myself and other policy experts on biotechnology, consumer, and agricultural policy sent…
The Heartland Institute
EPA Playing Politics with Herbicide Study, Requires Oversight
The Heartland Institute discusses the EPA chosing politics over scientific facts with Angela Logomasini. Angela Logomasini, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise…
Heartland Institute
Teflon, Other Chemicals Receive Greater EPA Scrutiny
The Heartland Institute discusses the EPA's new health advisory for chemicals with Angela Logomasini. Angela Logomasini, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise…
Christian Science Monitor
Senate passes GMO bill. Will labels ease Americans’ food-related fears?
The Christian Science Monitor discusses a GMO labeling bill passed by the Senate with Greg Conko. Others fear it will raise new, and…
Blog
Food Safety Experts Critical of GMO Labeling Bill
In an open letter released today, several food safety experts warned of the problems with a new Senate bill that would regulate the labeling of…
Blog
Chicago Home-Sharing Rules a Loss for Residents
Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel negotiated an armistice with the sharing economy last week. Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb have promised comply with the new rules, which…
Blog
Congress on the Verge of Lowering Beer Taxes
By today’s standards, the Founding Fathers were outright lushes. Ben Franklin was apocryphally known for his love of beer (although it turns out wine was…
Blog
Will the Sharing Economy Give Us Greater Economic Mobility?
Last night the R Street Institute sponsored a fascinating policy panel here in Washington, D.C., “Boost or Barrier? Upward mobility in the on-demand economy.”…
USA Today
Soda taxes slim wallets, not waistlines
Since Philadelphia’s city council approved a 1.5 cent per ounce tax on soda this month, “public health” advocates, led by former New York City…
Blog
Nobel Prize Winners Denounce Greenpeace Opposition to GMOs
For decades, the environmental activist group Greenpeace has been among the most vocal, and oftentimes vicious, opponents of biotechnology and genetically engineered crops.
Blog
Democrats Block Zika Funding Bill
“Democrats block Zika funding bill, blame GOP,” reports Politico.
Heartland Institute
Ohio Governor Says ‘Cheers’ to Beer Deregulation Bill
The Heartland Institute discusses with Michelle Minton a bill removing government restrictions on the alcohol volume of beer sold in the state. The bill…
Blog
Groups Urge U.S. House to Nullify Wasteful Catfish Rule
In a coalition letter yesterday, 10 market-oriented groups, including CEI, urged the House leadership to call for a vote on S.J. Res. 28 to nullify…
Blog
Coming Soon: International Mayors for Inconvenient Travel
While we wait to see whether Gov. Andrew Cuomo will sign legislation targeting home-share listings in New York, the governmental response to the sharing economy’s…
Blog
New York Legislature Piles on Fines for Home-Share Listings
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is currently reviewing legislation recently passed by the state’s Senate and Assembly that would establish new penalties for advertising one’s…
Blog
Soda Tax Won’t Fix Waste and Corruption in Philly
Last week Philadelphia enacted a 1.5 cent per ounce tax on soda to fund the Mayor’s proposed universal pre-kindergarten system and at the same time…
Blog
Building on the Optimism of “Uber-Positive” Attitudes
There’s a new resource for understanding the state of play between politics and developments in the sharing economy, the pleasantly slim volume by the Manhattan…
The New American
Are Soda Taxes the Real Thing for Fighting Obesity?
The New American reports on Michelle Minton's study on the failures of soda taxes. The city of Philadelphia is poised to impose a 1.5-cent-per-ounce…
Blog
Proposed Soda Tax a Bad Deal for Philadelphia Residents
This Thursday, Philadelphia’s city council is set to approve a 1.5 cent per ounce tax on soda. The goal of the tax is to raise…
Daily Caller
Soda Taxes Are A Failed Experiment, Claims New Report
The Daily Caller reports on Michelle Minton's analysis of the impacts of soda taxes. Soda taxes are a failed experiment and should be…
Heartland Institute
Congressional Hearing Tackles Fantasy Football Regulation
The Heartland Institute discusses with Michelle Minton the benefits of leaving online gambling regulations up to states to decide. Michelle Minton, a consumer policy…
The Philadelphia Tribune
What will 1.5 cents from soda tax bring?
The Philadelphia Tribune reports on a coalition letter CEI signed to oppose the proposed soda tax in Philadelphia. The Competitive Enterprise Institute and…
Blog
Obama Administration Fosters Zika through Red Tape
Zika’s spread is being aided by red tape the Obama administration left unchanged, even as it illegally diverted money needed to fight Zika to…
Blog
Rounding Up the Cowards: EU Leaders Block Glyphosate
As reported in the Wall Street Journal this week, yet another valuable pesticide product may eventually be removed from the market place. But despite…
Blog
Time to End the Failed Experiment of “Sin” Taxes
It seems like an economic no-brainer that if you can raise the cost of a good or service, people will buy and consume less of…
Blog
Obama Illegally Diverts Money Needed to Fight Zika to UN
President Obama raided $500 million needed to fight the Zika virus, and instead illegally gave it to the United Nations’ Green Climate Fund. Sen. James…
TRIB Live
Take hypocrisy out of gambling laws, think tank says
The Tribune-Review discusses online gambling regulations with Michelle Minton. “Gambling, whether on the lottery, at the casino, or betting online on the big…
Blog
Leave DFS Regulation to the States, But Don’t Kneecap Skilled Players
Congress is abuzz with the issue of gambling. Last month, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) inserted language from his failed online gambling ban into the…
The Hill
Anti-gaming lawmakers still waging a losing battle
The Hill highlights Michelle Minton's analysis of online gambling regulations. It's true the Wire Act didn't change in 2011, but its interpretation by the…
The Hill
Anti-gaming lawmakers still waging a losing battle
The Hill references Michelle Minton's study on online gambling regulations. It's true the Wire Act didn't change in 2011, but its interpretation by the…
Blog
Unpopular Online Gambling Ban Sneaked Into Spending Bill
For more than two years a cadre of congressmen have worked, without any luck, to enact a bill that would create a de facto national…
Real Clear Policy
Lawmakers’ Salt Fixation Harms Our Nation’s Health
America has a salt problem — and it's not high blood pressure. The Obama administration plans to set voluntary sodium targets for processed food makers…
Forbes
Leave Daily Fantasy Sports Regulation To The States
Forbes reports on Michelle Minton and Steven Titch's study on online gambling regulations. Leave it to the states. That is the conclusion of…
Study
Game Changer
Rather than enforcing subjective morality or trying to protect people from themselves, modern gambling regulation should treat citizens as adults and preserve the right of states…
Daily Caller
Experts Savage FDA’s Most Recent Claim That Killing 99% Of An Industry Spurs ‘Innovation’
The Daily Caller discusses the FDA regulations on electronic cigarettes with Michelle Minton. Such an industry-wide consolidation would be disastrous for innovation, according…
Blog
FDA’s Attack on E-Cigarette Will Cost Lives
While the public health goals of protecting consumers from possibly harmful vaping products and preventing kids from becoming addicted to nicotine are laudable goals, this…
Blog
CEI Challenges Illegal “Vapes on a Plane” Regulation
Today, CEI, the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA), and CEI employee Gordon Cummings, as a private individual, filed a lawsuit challenging the…
Daily Caller
Wasserman Schultz Slammed For Opposition To E-Cigarettes
The Daily Caller discusses with CEI's Michelle Minton, the Democratic National Commitee chair's criticism of the e-cigarette industry. “The industry exists because smokers…
News Release
CEI Scholar Warns: TSCA Reform Promises Higher Prices, Less Choice
As House and Senate members hammer out the final details of legislation to reform federal chemical regulation, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) warns that…
Study
TSCA “Reform” Is Likely To Do More Harm Than Good
Full Document Available on PDF According to news reports, congressional aides from both houses of Congress are currently engaged in private meetings…
Blog
Advocates Attempt to Debunk Idea that Any Alcohol Is Beneficial
For most public health advocates, no amount of alcohol is safe. As they see it, any amount of alcohol increases a drinkers risk for certain…
Daily Caller
Local Lawmakers Left Red Faced After Failure Of E-Cigarette Tax
The Daily Caller discusses regulations on electronic cigarettes with Michelle Minton. Competitive Enterprise Institute Fellow Michelle Minton was a strong critic of a…
Blog
Doing Away with Government Flammability Standards
During the past several years, there’s been much hype in the news alleging that flame retardant chemicals used on upholstered furniture pose unacceptable health risks. With…
Heartland Institute
Scientists Developing Climate-Adapted GMO Rice
The Heartland Institute discusses the values of genetically modified crops with Gregory Conko. “C4 rice would represent an important breakthrough in sustainable agriculture,” said…
Washington Examiner
Want to save lives? Don’t regulate e-cigarettes
Smoking kills nearly half a million Americans every year. Tobacco-less vaping products, like electronic cigarettes, have helped many people kick their deadly smoking habit. So…
Daily Caller
Cornell Study Finds Raising The Vaping Age Actually Increases Teen Smoking
The Daily Caller discusses the study on how raising the vaping age increases teen smoking with Michelle Minton. “This study provides some evidence…
Daily Caller
Study: Banning GMOs Would Devastate Earth, Despite Enviro Claims
The Daily Caller speaks with Greg Conko on genetically modified organisms. “[W]e know we’ll need to nearly double again the amount of food…
Daily Caller
Utah’s E-Cigarette Tax ‘Boggles The Mind’ And Could Prevent Smokers Quitting
The Daily Caller discusses the potential unintended consequences of Utah's push to raise the tax on e-cigarettes with Michelle Minton Raising the vaping age…
Blog
Utah’s Disastrous War on Electronic Cigarettes
Despite the fact that tobacco products kill nearly half a million Americans each year, it is vaping products—which help people quit smoking—that have become a…
Washington Examiner
No Fun in Australia
The Washington Examiner features Michelle Minton's research on the regulatory burden in Australia as a warning to the US. Michelle Minton for the…