The primary focus of the Competitive Enterprise Institute since its founding in 1984 has been to promote deregulation. Government regulation of the economy blocks innovation and wealth creation. It also encourages damaging behavior such as rent-seeking and cronyism. Finally, it crowds out more effective forms of regulation such as market discipline.
The beneficial effects of deregulation were plain in the airline and freight rail industries. Deregulation begun in the Carter administration led to more flights at lower cost and to better rail infrastructure and much lower shipping costs. Yet, since the 1990s, successive administrations of different political stripes have piled on regulations, burdening the economy needlessly. We chart this problem every year in our Ten Thousand Commandments report.
The power of regulators now raises constitutional concerns. Regulators are often unaccountable, and their insulation from the checks and balances of the constitutional system suggests that they may in effect form a fourth branch of government. The use of guidance documents to avoid rulemaking procedures, for instance, can amount to government by decree. Deregulation is therefore essential to restore good constitutional order.
CEI advocates for both overall regulatory reform – changing the ways in which rules are made to make them more transparent and easier to remove – and for specific regulatory changes. Recent successes include recognition of our concerns in Executive Orders promoting deregulation and curtailing the use of guidance, and in the reflection of our comments in rules promulgated by agencies such as the Department of Labor and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Deregulation Issue Areas
Featured Posts
Allies
Antitrust and the Federal Trade Commission in 2023
Excerpt from Mark Jamison’s piece, Antitrust and the Federal Trade Commission in 2023 in the Washington Examiner. “Generally, Republicans have a limited…
Study
Terrible Tech Bills from the 117th Congress
Congress is considering an onslaught of legislation targeting the largest tech platforms in the U.S., addressing topics such as mobile apps, advertising,…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The big news is that the Food and Drug Administration is poised to follow several other countries’ lead in approving one or more coronavirus…
Studies
The Protection Paradox
The everyday American expects certain basic services from her government. She expects her roads to be maintained, her mail to be delivered, and her…
Permitting Reform for a Freer and More Prosperous Nation
Contents Special Advisors The Importance of Permitting Reform Part 1: 11 Principles for Permitting Reform Part 2: Statute-by-Statute Analysis for Permitting…
Don’t Panic: A Skeptic’s Guide to the AI Jobs Doomsday
As technology advances it has periodically bred the fear that progress will destroy jobs and livelihoods. History teaches that these fears are usually misplaced.
Blog
The week in regulations: School libraries and sport pilots
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates. Congress passed a Russia sanctions bill that gives President Trump more tariff authority. Agencies issued new regulations ranging…
Stop rogue government AI
Performative Washington, responsible for funding AI weaponry and R&D for years, purports to have suddenly discovered the dangers of artificial intelligence. Recent incidents…
Congress gives Trump new tariff powers
The power to tax is one of Congress’ most important responsibilities. But it keeps looking for and finding ways to dodge it. The most…
News
Coalition urges Senate to pass major GOOD Act regulatory transparency bill
A coalition of free market and conservative organizations urged the Senate to prioritize passage this year of a regulatory reform bill called the Guidance…
Federal Reserve raises interest rates, eyes on future economic policy: CEI analysis
Today, the Federal Reserve has decided to raise interest rates by 25 basis points, the first increase in over three years. The decision…
Canada implements tariffs on American goods as trade war escalates: CEI analysis
Today, Canada implemented tariffs against a variety of American goods, ranging from 15 percent to 50 percent. CEI senior economist Ryan Young…
Op-Eds
New America
The ROAD to Housing: Easing the Housing Supply
The biggest housing bill in decades was passed into law in July. The 21st Century Road to Housing Act is a bipartisan, omnibus legislation…
Op-Eds
The Self-Harming Logic Of The U.S.-Canada Trade War
Politics is almost never about the merits. This is one of the toughest lessons to learn in Washington. Some people never learn it, especially…
Washington Examiner
It took 410 days to build the Empire State Building. Today, the EPA wouldn’t even pass the blueprint
When Congress gets back from its August recess, bipartisan permitting reform talks are expected to continue. There’s no reason…
Staff & Scholars
Kent Lassman
President and CEO
- Capitalism
- Deregulation
- Innovation
Clyde Wayne Crews
Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies
- Business and Government
- Consumer Freedom
- Deregulation
Ryan Young
Senior Economist and Director of Publications
- Antitrust
- Business and Government
- Regulatory Reform
Iain Murray
Vice President for Strategy and Senior Fellow
- Banking and Finance
- Trade and International
Marlo Lewis, Jr.
Senior Fellow
- Climate
- Energy
- Energy and Environment
Steve Swedberg
Finance and Monetary Policy Analyst
- Banking and Finance
- Deregulation
- Financial Regulation
Soriya Chhe
Senior Counsel
- CEI Litigation
- Law and Litigation
- Legal Studies
Marin Murdock
Associate Counsel
- CEI Litigation
- Law and Litigation
Ondray T. Harris
General Counsel
- Law and Litigation