The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)
Research Company/Group
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is a non-profit libertarian think tank founded by the political writer Fred L. Smith Jr. on March 9, 1984, in Washington, D.C., to advance principles of limited government, free enterprise, and individual liberty. CEI focuses on a number of regulatory policy issues, including business and finance, labor, technology and telecommunications, transportation, food and drug regulation, and energy and environment in which they have promoted climate change denial. Kent Lassman is the current President and CEO.
According to the 2017 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report (Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, University of Pennsylvania), CEI is number 59 (of 90) in the "Top Think Tanks in the United States". Source
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| Scope | National, Consumer |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Country | United States of America |
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Recent Articles
Search ArticlesFree the Economy podcast: Competition and innovation with Jack Nicastro
In this week’s episode we cover the case of Suncor v. Boulder County at the Supreme Court, the problems with the Los Angeles mansion tax, new polling on tariffs, and the latest job-creation numbers. Our interview is with Jack Nicastro, antitrust policy analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. We’ll talk about antitrust law, the consumer welfare standard, how to be an entrepreneur, and the human value of economic growth.
Asking the right questions on inequality
A recent Congressional Budget Office report finds that inequality in America has declined slightly in recent years. Over at National Review, my colleague Avery Schreck and I argue that this distracts from more important questions such as what living standards are like for low-income people and how to raise them: According to a well-known 2004 study by Nobel-winning economist William Nordhaus, entrepreneurs capture only about 2 percent of the value they create.
Forest Service proposes to correct course on Roadless Rule, 25 years later
The US Forest Service is finally taking action to correct a longstanding issue with the way it manages National Forest System land. On August 20, the agency proposed to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule. The National Forest System includes 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering 193 million acres of federal land, roughly the size of Texas.
Why can’t we just print more money?
Last week, I attended an event at a think tank where the conversation centered on the federal budget and national debt. At one point, a fellow attendee asked: “If the government owes so much money, why can’t we just print more?” At first this idea seems reasonable. The United States uses dollars, and it can create more of them. Printing more money can seem like a simple way to cover what the government owes without borrowing more and paying interest.
CEI files amicus brief urging Supreme Court to review EPA’s particulate matter standards
On October 2, 2026, CEI joined the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, the Energy & Environment Legal Institute, the Heartland Institute, and Heartland Impact in an amicus brief supporting the petitions for certiorari filed by Kentucky and other states as well as the US Chamber of Commerce. The brief was filed at the US Supreme Court in Commonwealth of Kentucky, et al. v. EPA, et al. and Chamber of Commerce, et al. v. EPA, et al.
Here’s how one-in, ten-out is successfully cutting rules — but not draining the swamp
It’s October already, and while there’s no real fiscal year for federal regulation, the September 30 closing of the 2026 budgetary fiscal year marks a moment for another quarterly update on federal regulatory activity. The upshot? In terms of issuance of conventional notice-and-comment rules and regulations in the Federal Register, the Trump administration continues to set records for inactivity and embody certain values of principled federal neglect.
The week in regulations: Drug prices and inedible almonds
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) learned the difference between the Atlanta Hawks and the Iowa Hawkeyes. President Trump rolled back some China tariffs and published Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-AR) cell phone number. GDP revisions released on Wednesday looked good, though Friday’s jobs numbers did not. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from invalid transportation specimens to mariner training. On to the data: Agencies issued 78 new final regulations last week.
This week in health care policy: September 28 – October 2, 2026
Drug pricing CMS finalizes GLOBE pilot. On September 30, CMS finalized the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing model, a program that ties Part B drug rebates to prices paid in 19 countries. It will cover physician-administered drugs in randomly selected communities throughout the US, representing about 25 percent of Part B beneficiaries. It runs from April 2027 through March 2032 and is approximately 5 percent of the size of what was originally proposed. CEI comment on GLOBE pilot.
Diagnosing unemployment
The unemployment rate is a symptom, not a diagnosis. When it rises or falls, it shows that something is changing in the labor market, but the number alone cannot explain what is driving the change. The right treatment depends on getting the diagnosis right. Not everyone looking for work is doing so for the same reason. Some are just beginning their careers. Others are caught between their skills and a changing economy. Another group may be out of work because the broader economy has slowed.
Buy Now, Pay Later doesn’t mean pay more, owe more, and panic more
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) has become a familiar way to pay for everything from discretionary purchases to everyday expenses. BNPL lets consumers divide purchases into installments instead of paying upfront, without interest when payments are made on time. Consumers have embraced that flexibility. LendingTree reports that 47 percent of Americans have used a BNPL service in the past year, up from 41 percent in 2025.