The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is a non-profit think tank with a libertarian perspective, established by political author Fred L. Smith Jr. on March 9, 1984, in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to promote the ideas of limited government, free markets, and personal freedom. CEI addresses various regulatory issues such as business and finance, labor, technology and telecommunications, transportation, food and drug policies, as well as energy and environmental matters, where they have been known to question climate change. Currently, Kent Lassman serves as the President and CEO. In the 2017 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report from the University of Pennsylvania, CEI was ranked 59th out of 90 in the "Top Think Tanks in the United States."

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Regulators right to approve Capital One/Discover merger

3 days ago | cei.org | John Berlau |Ryan Smith

On Friday, federal financial regulators made the right decision in approving the merger of Capital One and Discover. In their joint approvals of the merger, the Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) seemed to recognize points made by CEI in its favor. Namely that, far from being anticompetitive, the merger could introduce new, game-changing competition into the markets for credit and payments.
Escalating trade war with China won’t fix the need for reform: CEI analysis

3 days ago | cei.org | Ryan Young

On Monday, China vowed to retaliate against nations that corporate with President Trump’s tariffs against Beijing, putting potential trade deals between the US and other nations in jeopardy. CEI senior economist Ryan Young says an escalating trade war would do far more harm than good. “Tariffs aren’t the only way other countries are retaliating in President Trump’s trade war.
The week in regulations: Wildfire appraisals and portable spas

3 days ago | cei.org | Ryan Young |Ryan Smith

President Trump and El Salvador president Nayib Bukele confirmed that they would continue to imprison people without due process. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from showerheads to stormwater. On to the data:• Agencies issued 36 final regulations last week, after 32 the previous week. • That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every four hours and 40 minutes. • With 694 final regulations so far in 2025, agencies are on pace to issue 2,345 final regulations this year.
Decision in Google antitrust case a major blow for online competitiveness: CEI analysis

1 week ago | cei.org | Jessica Melugin |Ryan Young

On Thursday, a federal court ruled that Google violated antitrust law by maintaining a monopoly over online advertising. CEI experts caution about the precedent and ramifications of this decision for consumers and US competitiveness online. CEI Director of the Center for Technology and Innovation Jessica Melugin:“Abandoning the consumer welfare standard by finding Google guilty when there’s no proof of harm to consumers risks more than just setting bad precedent.
Free the Economy podcast: Economic ideas for American workers with Ryan Young

1 week ago | cei.org | Richard Morrison

In this week’s episode we cover teaching with AI, clearing the way for new nuclear development, and eliminating soda and candy from government food aid programs. Our interview this week is with Ryan Young, Senior Economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. He has plenty of problems with where economic, trade, and tariff policy is going right now, so we’ll talk about what we should do instead. • Free the Economy Episode 118: Trade Myths (and Facts) with Prof.
Zero Is the Magic Number for Cutting Red Tape

1 week ago | cei.org | James Broughel

One of President Trump’s executive orders could transform how the federal government reviews and manages energy regulations that rule and constrain our lives. The new directive borrows from the business world by introducing a process known as zero-based regulatory budgeting. This process requires programs to be justified from scratch each budget cycle, rather than assuming prior-year allocations should continue.
Otherwise Objectionable episode 5: ‘Blowback, and the Dust Settles’

1 week ago | cei.org | Jessica Melugin

The fifth episode of Otherwise Objectionable, the narrative-driven podcast that tells the true story of Section 230 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, recounts how the Supreme Court struck down Sen. James Exon’s (D-NE) Communications Decency Act due to First Amendment concerns. NARRATOR: We ended last episode with lawmakers Chris Cox and Ron Wyden getting their bill passed as part of the 1996 Telecommunications Act.
Trump is right to target showerheads, but he’ll need Congress to finish the job

1 week ago | cei.org | Ben Lieberman

President Trump is taking another pro-consumer step, this time on showerheads. His April 9th executive order, Maintaining Acceptable Water Pressure in Showerheads, reinstates his 2020 regulatory reform efforts that were derailed during the Biden years. It’s a good start, but the president needs to work with Congress on legislation to provide comprehensive and permanent relief for showerheads as well as other appliances harmed by federal regulations.
Definitely maybe tariff relief on electronics

1 week ago | cei.org | Ryan Young

Smartphone and laptop buyers got some good news over the weekend with a lower tariff on Chinese-made electronics, at least for now. The exemption’s messy rollout exposes at least three problems with the Trump administration’s trade policy. The obvious problem is uncertainty. The other two are signs of deeper rot in Washington. Tariff exemptions create perverse incentives for lobbyists, and they give the president a way to reward friends and punish enemies.
The week in regulations: Pool ladders and helicopters

1 week ago | cei.org | Ryan Young

President Trump paused his Liberation Day tariffs after financial markets crashed. Even with the pause, America’s tariffs are still among the world’s highest. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from alcohol labels to vehicle inspections. On to the data:Agencies issued 32 final regulations last week, after 44 the previous week. That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every five hours and 15 minutes.