Ryan Young is Senior Economist and Director of Publications at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI). He specializes in trade, regulatory reform, antitrust policy, monetary policy, and other issues.
He edited the essay collection Adam Smith’s Guide to Life, Loveliness, and the Modern Economy, and his writing has appeared in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, and dozens of other publications.
He has been interviewed by the BBC, CNN International, NPR, and Voice of America, and been quoted by ABC News, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
He has spoken to expert and lay audiences at events across the country and internationally on topics ranging from the separation of powers to the origins of human progress.
Ryan holds an M.A. in economics from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and a B.A. in history from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. He joined CEI in 2009, shortly before being named its 2009-2010 Warren T. Brookes Journalism Fellow, and previously worked at the Cato Institute. He is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society.
Authored by Ryan Young
News
Inflation increases again in September, no relief in sight for consumers’ wallets: CEI analysis
September’s Consumer Price Index report shows a 0.6 percent increase in prices across all sectors, up from a 0.4 percent increase in August.
Modest job numbers signal slow economic growth: CEI analysis
Just 29,000 jobs were added to the US economy in September 2026, according to the latest monthly government report, while the unemployment rate…
Diesel export ban idea won’t fix high prices: CEI analysis
Some lawmakers and candidates are calling for a federal ban on exporting diesel fuel as a means to bring fuel prices down. Sen.
Blog
The week in regulations: Mailing live animals and crash test dummy comments
- By: Ryan Young
A Trump administration envoy to Russia called Vladimir Putin a humanitarian. The Justice Department announced it will sue if the Republican Senate candidate in…
The week in regulations: Salt substitutes and spiny lobster management
- By: Ryan Young
The new White House Press Secretary lasted five days before resigning. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is upset that one company makes two brands of hot…
The week in regulations: Mariner training and Maryland trash
- By: Ryan Young
The federal government’s annual budget deficit hit $2 trillion. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pledged to livestream an execution. Thirty-year Treasury bond interest rates continued…
Op-Eds/Articles
Wall Street Journal
War-Caused Oil Price Spikes Don’t Help the U.S. Economy
- By: Ryan Young
Northwestern University’s Diego R. Känzig and Luca Zanotti and Harvard’s James H. Stock commit an elementary error by focusing on the concentrated benefits of…
National Review
America’s Misplaced Income Priorities
- By: Ryan Young
The national inequality debate is asking the wrong questions. Pundits are cheering a recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report showing a…
The Self-Harming Logic Of The U.S.-Canada Trade War
- By: Ryan Young
Politics is almost never about the merits. This is one of the toughest lessons to learn in Washington. Some people never learn it, especially…
Studies
Three Reasons Tariffs Don’t Work
- By: Ryan Young
He just likes tariffs. President Trump’s decades-long love of tariffs comes from the heart. The intellectual arguments Trump and his aides use to justify…
Questions for Kevin Warsh
Kevin Warsh is President Trump’s choice to succeed Jerome Powell as the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Warsh’s…
End IRA Subsidies Now
Introduction “The first lesson of economics is scarcity,” wrote economist Thomas Sowell. By contrast, “The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first…
Citations
The National News Desk
Voters look to Congress for relief from high prices it has little power to control
- By: Ryan Young
CEI Senior Economist Ryan Young was cited by The National News Desk regarding the key drivers of inflation. Even if inflation returns to…
The National News Desk
Americans keep on spending, but how long can they go?
- By: Ryan Young
CEI’s Senior Economist Ryan Young was quoted in an article discussing American consumer finances. Consumer spending is the lifeblood of the U.S.
American Petroleum Institute
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: U.S. Diesel Export Ban Is a Bad Idea
- By: Ryan Young
Senior economist Ryan Young was cited by American Petroleum Institute regarding the consequences for a diesel export ban. As API President and…
Regulatory Comments
CEI’s comment on Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets
Dear Mr. Offutt: On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, we respectfully submit these comments to the Department of Agriculture (“the Department”) on…
Request for Comment on Proposed Modifications and Exclusion Process in Section 301 Investigation
On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), we respectfully submit the following comments in response to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Modifications…
Comments of the Competitive Enterprise Institute
September 26, 2023 RE: Premerger Notification; Reporting and Waiting Period Requirements Docket ID No.: FTC-2023-0040-0001 On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise…
Podcast Episodes
Economic Ideas for American Workers with Ryan Young
This week we cover teaching with AI, clearing the way for new nuclear development, and eliminating soda and candy from government food aid programs. Our...
Economics for Everybody with Ryan Young
Free the Economy is a podcast focused on how we all can become happier, healthier, and wealthier in a world with less government control.
In episode...