Amazon

January 23, 2019

ILSR co-director Stacy Mitchell appeared on MSNBC host Chris Hayes' podcast, "Why Is This Happening?" The two discuss how Amazon came to dominate e-commerce, its now all-encompassing presence in consumer goods, retail, and cloud computing, and its much bigger ambitions beyond.READ MORE

Amazon Doesn’t Just Want to Dominate the Market—It Wants to Become the Market

February 15, 2018

This cover feature for The Nation looks at how Amazon is a radically new kind of monopoly with ambitions that dwarf those of earlier empires, and what we should do about it.READ MORE

Recently Posted

New Survey: Independent Businesses See Major Threats in Amazon, Corporate Concentration

ILSR

August 6, 2019

ILSR's Independent Business Survey offers insight and guidance to elected officials looking to build a more equitable, entrepreneurial, competitive, and dynamic economy.READ MORE

ILSR's Zach Freed Appears on San Francisco's KALW to Discuss Amazon's Warehouse Conditions and Market Power

July 15, 2019

ILSR Researcher Zach Freed was featured on "Your Call," a program of KALW, a San Francisco NPR affiliate, to discuss Amazon's warehouse and labor practices.READ MORE

Australian National Radio Talks With Stacy Mitchell about America's Anti-Monopoly History and Big Tech

June 25, 2019

ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell was featured on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's radio news program Rear Vision for an episode on monopoly power in America.READ MORE

Statement on House Antitrust Investigation into Big Tech

Hibba Meraay

June 4, 2019

In response to the House Judiciary Committee’s announcement that it will begin a study of the impact of dominant technology platforms, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance released the following statement.READ MORE

In Op-Ed for Fortune, ILSR's Charlie Thaxton Details Amazon's Long History of Gaming the Government

November 28, 2018

Tax incentives and subsidies are hastening market concentration. Amazon, which has a long history of securing government giveaways, is a clear example.READ MORE

On WNYC's On the Media, Stacy Mitchell Talks Antitrust's Past and Future

November 21, 2018

ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell appeared as a guest on the WNYC radio program On The Media for a segment entitled “Making America Antitrust Again.” Stacy talked with host Brooke Gladstone about our country’s history of breaking up big corporations, the rise of Amazon, and where our growing anti-monopoly movement is headed.READ MORE

Unfair Advantage: In The Sun, Stacy Mitchell Discusses Amazon and the Future of Local Economies

October 25, 2018

This month, The Sun magazine features ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell in an extended Q&A about the consequences of Amazon’s tightening grip and what it will take to revive America’s left-behind cities and towns.READ MORE

ILSR Submits Comments as Federal Trade Commission Embarks on a Rare Review of Its Antitrust Policy

August 30, 2018

In a series of hearings this fall, the Federal Trade Commission will examine whether it should be doing more to check concentrated economic power. ILSR has submitted comments to the agency that highlight the impact of concentration on independent businesses and outline the dangers of Amazon's platform power.READ MORE

In-Depth

Report: Amazon’s Next Frontier: Your City’s Purchasing

July 10, 2018

Amazon recently secured a national contract that opens the way for billions of dollars in local government spending to shift to the company, but there's been virtually no reporting on the deal. In this new report, we examine the contract and Amazon's push to capture local government spending, and find concerns — including that the contract leaves local governments at risk of being ripped off, and sets Amazon up to expand its monopoly power. We conclude by offering examples of local governments that are choosing to reject Amazon's deal.READ MORE

Report: Amazon’s Stranglehold: How the Company's Tightening Grip on the Economy Is Stifling Competition, Eroding Jobs, and Threatening Communities

November 29, 2016

Amazon has extended its tentacles across our economy. In this report, we pull back the curtain on the company, and find that it's at the center of increasing inequality and diminishing opportunity, and that it's concentrating power in ways that endanger competition, community life, and democracy. We also examine how public policy should address Amazon's high costs.READ MORE

Audio & Video

Video: Stacy Mitchell talks Amazon, Concentration, and Building Resilient Local Economies

April 15, 2019

ILSR co-director Stacy Mitchell was the guest for a special edition of Strong Towns' webcast earlier this year. Stacy spoke with Strong Towns co-founder and President, Chuck Marohn on topics like Amazon, tax incentives, retail concentration, and big-box stores.READ MORE

Watch: Panel Discussion on What to Do About Amazon

November 21, 2018

ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell recently spoke on a panel focused on how to rein in Amazon’s monopoly power, hosted by the George Washington Institute of Public Policy.READ MORE

In Videos for Bernie Sanders, ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell Explains Amazon’s Monopoly Power

October 5, 2018

The two videos have drawn more than 1.8 million views across several platforms.READ MORE

Amazon's New Path to Monopoly Is Through Your Local Government (Episode 50)

Nick Stumo-Langer

July 12, 2018

ILSR's Communications Manager Nick Stumo-Langer is joined by researchers Stacy Mitchell and Olivia LaVecchia to discuss their new report detailing Amazon's new thrust into local government procurement and their attempts to capture every aspect of the economy.READ MORE

Listen: ILSR's Stacy Mitchell Talks Amazon with Gaby Dunn on "Bad With Money" Podcast

ILSR

May 31, 2018

ILSR's Stacy Mitchell was recently a guest on the popular podcast "Bad With Money," where she talked with host Gaby Dunn about Amazon and monopoly power.READ MORE

Listen: ILSR's Stacy Mitchell Talks Amazon and Antitrust on "The Majority Report" with Sam Seder

ILSR

May 11, 2018

ILSR's Stacy Mitchell recently joined host Sam Seder to talk Amazon and monopoly power on the popular podcast, "The Majority Report." Sparked by Stacy's recent cover story on Amazon in The Nation, Stacy and Sam's conversation covers Amazon's role as an infrastructure company, the dramatic shift that occurred in U.S. antitrust policy, and six proposals to rein in today's monopolies.READ MORE

Listen: How Amazon Swallowed the Economy on "This Is Hell"

ILSR

April 3, 2018

ILSR's Stacy Mitchell is the guest on the March 24 episode of "This Is Hell," a longform interview podcast from Chicago's WNUR. In the episode, "No competition: How Amazon swallowed the economy," Stacy talks competition, platforms, and Amazon with host Chuck Mertz.READ MORE

Listen: Stacy Mitchell on "We the Podcast" with Rep. Keith Ellison and Lina Khan