The Case Against Breaking Up Amazon: Embracing Innovation and Consumer Choice

Is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) really out to break up Amazon? If so, it may be one of the greatest ideology-over-reason triumphs in American history. At stake are Amazon Prime, retail shopping driven by artificial intelligence (AI), and other past and future Amazon innovations that Americans love and depend on. Also at stake is [...]

Why Have Merger Guidelines? A Closer Look at the Department of Justice and FTC Proposed Changes, Part I

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) made headlines in July with their proposed merger guidelines. The guidelines are significant departures from previous practices, reflecting the ideological and power structure changes the Biden administration has brought to the agencies. If implemented, the proposed guidelines will increase political risk for businesses and lower [...]

The Future of Independent Agencies: Highlights from an Expert Panel Discussion on Problems at the Federal Trade Commission

On May 25, 2023, given recent events at the Federal Trade Commission, including the resignation of Commissioner Christine Wilson, leaving the FTC with no Republican commissioners, and the growing discontent for the FTC’s casting aside historical norms and precedence, AEI hosted a panel to discuss the future of independent agencies and how they can be [...]

The Future of Independent Agencies: Fallout from Problems at the Federal Trade Commission

On May 25, AEI’s Mark Jamison hosted a panel discussion on the future of independent regulatory agencies in light of recent activity of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is reversing decades of precedence and established procedures. Watch the full recording of the event below or at AEI.

Biden’s Team Causes the Problems He Says He Wants to Solve

President Joe Biden made promoting competition a prominent feature of his economic agenda. When issuing his executive order on competition, the president said, “Capitalism without competition isn’t capitalism; it’s exploitation. . . We can bring back more competition to more of the country, helping entrepreneurs and small businesses get in the game.” Then why is [...]