One of the Progressive Era’s so-called innovations was the creation of “independent federal agencies.” As Market Institute Senior Fellow Norm Singleton explains in a recent piece for RealClearMarkets, these agencies have the power to write regulations, enforce them, and then adjudicate alleged violations in administrative courts — combining legislative, executive, Read more…
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) recently called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate whether the Biden Administration’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention worked with anti-Second Amendment groups to pressure the FTC into cracking down on firearm advertising. As Market Institute President Charles Sauer explains in RealClearMarkets, the Read more…
In a recent article for RealClearMarkets, Market Institute Senior Fellow Norm Singleton examines the firings of Roger Alford, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, and William Rinner, the Antitrust Department’s head of merger enforcement. Their dismissal in July highlights a deepening divide over how the Trump administration should approach antitrust Read more…
On August 13, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order repealing Joe Biden’s July 2021 directive on “Promoting Competition in the American Economy.” That Biden-era order empowered Lina Khan at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Jonathan Kanter at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to expand government control over Read more…
The Justice Department’s recent approval of the $14 billion Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE)–Juniper Networks merger has fueled speculation of a rift within President Trump’s antitrust team. But as Norm Singleton explains, the differences are overstated: “The lawsuit to block HPE’s acquisition of Juniper was motivated by concerns that the acquisition Read more…
In a recent column at RealClearMarkets, Market Institute President Charles Sauer highlights an important tension within the Trump Administration’s approach to regulation. While the administration has wisely pulled back from the overly aggressive antitrust enforcement of the Biden years, troubling moves at the FCC and FTC risk undermining the First Read more…
Shortly before leaving for the August district work period, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government advanced the FY2026 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill. One of its most notable provisions targets the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), cutting its budget and blocking Chair Lina Khan’s latest Read more…
In a new article for RealClearMarkets, Market Institute President Charles Sauer examines how the Trump administration’s new antitrust leadership team—Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Andrew Ferguson and Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division head Gail Slater—has shifted course from the Biden-era’s aggressive anti-merger stance. But while the shift away from Read more…
The Federal Trade Commission says it wants to help American manufacturers. In fact, FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson recently declared July as “Made in America Month,” highlighting the agency’s commitment to promoting U.S. manufacturing and cracking down on fraudulent labeling. But as Market Institute Senior Fellow Norm Singleton explains in his Read more…
In a recent RealClearMarkets article, Market Institute Senior Fellow Norm Singleton warns that Lina Khan’s brand of aggressive antitrust enforcement isn’t going away—it’s just shifting tactics and geography. While the Biden-era ideologues may be stepping back, their playbook is alive and well under Trump’s appointees and in progressive statehouses across Read more…