INDEPENDENT BUSINESS INITIATIVE

Monopoly – Full Archive

A Food Oasis in North Tulsa

A Food Oasis in North Tulsa

Luke Gannon

March 16, 2023

Aaron Johnson, founder and owner of Oasis Fresh Market in North Tulsa, Oklahoma, tells his journey of opening a grocery store to provide a refuge, safe place, and shelter to a community that had been a food desert for fourteen years. On the second half of the episode, Stacy Mitchell explains the policy decisions that have led to an increasingly consolidated grocery sector and the steps to take to support locally-owned, community-centric grocery models.READ MORE


In the Antitrust Chronicle: Ending Monopolization Via Mergers

In the Antitrust Chronicle: Ending Monopolization Via Mergers

Luke Gannon

March 6, 2023

Ron Knox writes in Competition Policy International that in order to foster a more democratic economy we must strengthen merger guidelines and enforce anti-merger laws, promote anti-merger enforcement in Congress, and educate federal judges about the intent behind anti-merger laws.READ MORE


Toledo Takes Dollar Stores to Church

Toledo Takes Dollar Stores to Church

Luke Gannon

February 28, 2023

Dr. Perryman, a life-long Toledo resident, tells his story of leading a religious, social, and political movement to empower his community and fight against dollar store proliferation. Kennedy Smith weaves Dr. Perryman's story into the national fight against dollar stores. She notes the harms that dollar stores inflict as well as the strategies communities can use to battle them.READ MORE


Minnesota Joins the Fight Against Monopoly Power

Minnesota Joins the Fight Against Monopoly Power

Ron Knox

February 8, 2023

Lawmakers in Minnesota will have the opportunity this legislative session to put the state at the forefront of a growing national movement to improve and strengthen laws to constrain monopoly abuses against workers, independent businesses, and communities.READ MORE


On Pitchfork Economics: Why We Can’t Let Kroger Buy Albertsons

On Pitchfork Economics: Why We Can't Let Kroger Buy Albertsons

Luke Gannon

December 1, 2022

Stacy Mitchell explains on Pitchfork Economics how for the last forty years, merging companies have convinced regulatory agencies that their merger will be better for customers — most often pledging that it will lower prices. Stacy argues that the company's statement promising to pass savings on to consumers is blatantly false.READ MORE


In Slate: Radicalize the Swifties

In Slate: Radicalize the Swifties

Luke Gannon

November 30, 2022

Ron Knox writes in Slate how the shocking collapse of Taylor Swift's tour ticket presale was an inevitable failure of the monopoly Ticketmaster.READ MORE


On Vox’s Today Explained: Ron Knox on Blocking the Kroger-Albertsons Supermerger

On Vox's Today Explained: Ron Knox on Blocking the Kroger-Albertsons Supermerger

Luke Gannon

October 31, 2022

Ron Knox joined Vox’s Today Explained podcast where he details the danger, harm, and effects of the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger.READ MORE


How Tax Policies Fuel Monopolies and Undermine Small Business

How Tax Policies Fuel Monopolies and Undermine Small Business

Stacy Mitchell

October 28, 2022

In a special issue of Tax Justice Focus, Stacy Mitchell and Susan Holmberg write that local, state, and federal policymakers have systematically structured the tax system to fuel corporate power and disadvantage small businesses. No one has more effectively harnessed the tax system to build a monopoly than Amazon-founder Jeff Bezos.READ MORE


Boxed Out: How Big Retailers are Flexing Their Supply Chain Power to Kill Off Small Businesses

Boxed Out: How Big Retailers are Flexing Their Supply Chain Power to Kill Off Small Businesses

Stacy Mitchell

September 22, 2022

Powerful retailers are killing off small businesses by dominating supply chains. Our new report argues it’s time to revive the Robinson-Patman Act and restore antitrust enforcement against predatory buying.READ MORE


WATCH: Midwest Forum on Fair Markets

WATCH: Midwest Forum on Fair Markets

Reggie Rucker

September 22, 2022

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya gave keynotes at the forum, which featured panel discussions by workers, small business owners, and others on the frontlines fighting for antimonopoly reform in Minnesota and nationally.READ MORE


Inflation: The True Monopoly Story

Inflation: The True Monopoly Story

Luke Gannon

August 25, 2022

On this episode of Building Local Power, Rakeen Mabud the Chief Economist at Groundwork Collaborative and Ron Knox, Senior Researcher and Writer at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, take us on a riveting journey exposing the story of inflation that most economists don't want to tell.READ MORE


Stacy Mitchell Keynotes the Launch of The Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project

Stacy Mitchell Keynotes the Launch of The Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project

Luke Gannon

August 17, 2022

The Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project (CAMP) aims to reform Canadian competition law. For their launch event, Stacy Mitchell, a leader in the U.S. antimonopoly movement, spoke on the importance of antimonopoly to a fair and free economy and democracy.READ MORE


Report: How New Federal Antimerger Guidelines Can Roll Back Corporate Concentration and Build Local Power

Report: How New Federal Antimerger Guidelines Can Roll Back Corporate Concentration and Build Local Power

Stacy Mitchell

June 29, 2022

Earlier this year the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice announced plans to revise their merger guidelines, setting the stage for a new era in antitrust regulation. ILSR's new report details how new federal antimerger guidelines can restore competition and build local power.READ MORE


“Trustbusting Is Making a Comeback”: Stacy Mitchell’s Keynote at the National Rural Grocery Summit:

"Trustbusting Is Making a Comeback": Stacy Mitchell's Keynote at the National Rural Grocery Summit:

Luke Gannon

June 22, 2022

ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell gave a barnburner keynote address at the National Rural Grocery Summit, where she detailed how monopolistic corporations are squeezing independent businesses and farmers out of the market — and the antimonopoly comeback that is fighting to resurrect our antitrust laws.READ MORE


Anti-Merger Guidelines Would Stop Corporate Concentration, Revive Local Economies — Episode 153 of Building Local Power

Anti-Merger Guidelines Would Stop Corporate Concentration, Revive Local Economies — Episode 153 of Building Local Power

Jess Del Fiacco

June 16, 2022

On this episode of Building Local Power, host Jess Del Fiacco is joined by her colleagues John Farrell, Stacy Mitchell, and Ron Knox, where they discuss the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission's plan to overhaul their merger guidelines. READ MORE


Petitioners Ask Feds to Investigate Utility Abuses of Monopoly Power — Episode 158 of Local Energy Rules

Petitioners Ask Feds to Investigate Utility Abuses of Monopoly Power — Episode 158 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

June 9, 2022

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guests Howard Crystal and Liz Veazey discuss a recent petition to the Federal Trade Commission and why electric utility practices require federal investigation.READ MORE


In Times Union: NY Needs Better Laws to Deal with Monopolies

In Times Union: NY Needs Better Laws to Deal with Monopolies

Ron Knox

May 27, 2022

Ron Knox and Katy Milani write in Times Union about how the New York 21st Century Antitrust Act would help stop the abuses of corporate titans and "return power and freedom to regular New Yorkers."READ MORE


Listen: What Could Possibly Go Right? Finding Our Muscle as Citizens

Listen: What Could Possibly Go Right? Finding Our Muscle as Citizens

Luke Gannon

May 27, 2022

Vicki Robin, host of the podcast “What Could Possibly Go Right?” asks ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell, “In this moment of great turmoil what promise do you see on the horizon?” In other words, what could possibly go right? READ MORE


In The American Prospect: Monopoly on Tap

In The American Prospect: Monopoly on Tap

Luke Gannon

May 25, 2022

The beer industry is in the midst of an unprecedented economic shift, with rapid consolidation and rampant monopoly power threatening our favorite local breweries. Ron Knox writes in The American Prospect how Reyes, the largest beer distributor in America, has bought its way to dominance.READ MORE


ILSR Joins Ask for Federal Trade Commission to Investigate Utility Abuses

ILSR Joins Ask for Federal Trade Commission to Investigate Utility Abuses

John Farrell

May 20, 2022

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance joined over 200 organizations this week in asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate abuses by electric utilities to protect American consumers.READ MORE


Issue Brief: Why the 21st Century Antitrust Act is Critical for New York Small Businesses

Issue Brief: Why the 21st Century Antitrust Act is Critical for New York Small Businesses

Katy Milani

May 19, 2022

Rampant market power abuse is endangering the economic dynamism that New York small businesses generate. State lawmakers have an opportunity to level the playing field.READ MORE


ILSR Calls for New Merger Standards to Halt Concentration, Revive Local Economies

ILSR Calls for New Merger Standards to Halt Concentration, Revive Local Economies

Stacy Mitchell

April 27, 2022

In 1982, the two agencies charged with overseeing America’s antimonopoly laws — the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission — radically weakened their policy governing mergers. Now the agencies are embarking on an overhaul of that policy. In this comment letter, ILSR details how current enforcement policy deviates from the anti-merger laws passed by Congress, describes the consequences, and outlines as set of recommendations for updating the policy to stop concentration and revive local economies.READ MORE


Corporations Rake in Subsidies at Communities’ Expense — Episode 148 of Building Local Power

Corporations Rake in Subsidies at Communities' Expense — Episode 148 of Building Local Power

Jess Del Fiacco

April 7, 2022

On this episode of the Building Local Power Podcast, Jess Del Fiacco is joined by Stacy Mitchell and Arlene Martínez who discuss the use of nondisclosure agreements, the acceleration of mega-deals during the pandemic, and what true economic development looks like. READ MORE


In Crain’s, NY Antitrust Bill Can Level the Playing Field for Small Business

In Crain’s, NY Antitrust Bill Can Level the Playing Field for Small Business

Luke Gannon

April 4, 2022

In New York, dominant corporations are amassing unprecedented economic and political power and putting small businesses at risk. Katy Milani and Sue Warfield write in Crain’s that the proposed 21st Century Antitrust Act would level the playing field. READ MORE


In The Forge: We Need a Popular Front to Overthrow Corporate Rule. Small Businesses Are Key.

In The Forge: We Need a Popular Front to Overthrow Corporate Rule. Small Businesses Are Key.

Stacy Mitchell

March 24, 2022

In The Forge Stacy Mitchell argues that we are in unprecedented moment to organize a broad popular front of small businesses and working people to change the course of corporate concentration.READ MORE


Listen: How Epic Games’ Acquisition of Bandcamp will Impact Independent Artists

Listen: How Epic Games' Acquisition of Bandcamp will Impact Independent Artists

Luke Gannon

March 10, 2022

Ron Knox was featured on The Grapevine, an Australian talk radio show, where he discussed Epic Games recent acquisition of Bandcamp and its effect on independent artists. READ MORE


Issue Brief: Handcuffed by the Courts

Issue Brief: Handcuffed by the Courts

Ron Knox

March 8, 2022

Beginning in the late 1970s, a series of Supreme Court cases upended U.S. antitrust laws — laws that were once the linchpin of a comprehensive, democratic check on corporate power. This issue brief traverses the history and argues that Congress must take action to undo these pro-monopoly decisions.READ MORE


Listen: How Corporate Mergers Undermine Labor Rights

Listen: How Corporate Mergers Undermine Labor Rights

Luke Gannon

March 3, 2022

Ron Knox was featured on The Heartland Labor Forum on KKFI, where he discussed his recent reporting detailing how corporate mergers helped create monopolies that dominate our economies and drive down workers’ wages. READ MORE


In Financial Times: The Innovations We Lose if We Don’t Break Up Big Tech

In Financial Times: The Innovations We Lose if We Don’t Break Up Big Tech

Susan Holmberg

February 16, 2022

In the Financial Times, Susan Holmberg details the evidence showing that in their quest to maintain dominance tech giants are in fact killing new ideas, limiting new inventions and blocking new businesses from getting a foothold.READ MORE


Video: Watch ILSR’s Event on Democratizing Power

Video: Watch ILSR's Event on Democratizing Power

Stacy Mitchell

January 29, 2022

Watch video of this inspiring event showcasing grassroots initiatives that are taking on electric utility monopolies and winning the fight for democratic and community control. Features Our Power, a citizen-led ballot campaign in Maine that aims to convert the utility serving most of the state to a consumer-owned company.READ MORE


Building Local Power: Our Best Podcast Episodes on Antimonopoly

Building Local Power: Our Best Podcast Episodes on Antimonopoly

Ron Knox

January 25, 2022

We have generated a list of Building Local Power's “greatest hits” from our recent archives. These episodes capture crucial perspectives in our multi-pronged antitrust, small business, and racial justice movement.READ MORE


In The American Prospect: Why Congress Must End America’s Merger Free-for-All

In The American Prospect: Why Congress Must End America’s Merger Free-for-All

Luke Gannon

October 28, 2021

Senior Research Ron Knox writes in The American Prospect about how decades of unchecked mergers has killed jobs, suppressed wages, and smothered independent businesses. With Lina Khan and DOJ nominee Jonathon Kanter, there is newfound hope to overhaul current merger laws. But Congress must act to end America’s merger free-for-all.READ MORE


On Pitchfork Economics: How Walmart Gutted Communities

On Pitchfork Economics: How Walmart Gutted Communities

Luke Gannon

October 28, 2021

Stacy Mitchell joins Pitchfork Economics to explain how policies drove the rise of Walmart and Amazon, and the urgency of the antitrust movement.READ MORE


Listen: Big Music Should Be On The Antitrust Agenda

Listen: Big Music Should Be On The Antitrust Agenda

Luke Gannon

October 5, 2021

Ron Knox joined WVON’s The Morning Show to jam about monopoly power in the music industry, which is preventing independent streaming platforms from competing and hurting artists.READ MORE


Listen: Big Tech Legislation is a Top Priority for Hardware Stores

Listen: Big Tech Legislation is a Top Priority for Hardware Stores

Susan Holmberg

August 5, 2021

ILSR's Stacy Mitchell joined Dan Tratensek of the North American Hardware and Paint Association to talk about the momentum in Washington, and at the local level, to level the playing field for small business.READ MORE


Biden’s Executive Order Takes Aim at Monopoly Power on Behalf of Small Businesses, Farmers, and Workers

Biden’s Executive Order Takes Aim at Monopoly Power on Behalf of Small Businesses, Farmers, and Workers

Ron Knox

July 26, 2021

President Biden signed a sweeping Executive Order aimed at undoing concentrated corporate control and ending decades of consolidation across the economy. The order’s provisions reflect many of ILSR's priorities.READ MORE


Congressional Testimony: How Concentrated Corporate Power Undermines Shared Prosperity

Congressional Testimony: How Concentrated Corporate Power Undermines Shared Prosperity

Katy Milani

July 14, 2021

ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell testified before the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee on Wednesday, July 14th. She spoke about how the U.S. has abandoned its antimonopoly policies, which has undermined independent businesses and the vital role they play in our economy and democracy.READ MORE


In The Washington Post: How Washington Got Back Into Trustbusting

In The Washington Post: How Washington Got Back Into Trustbusting

Susan Holmberg

June 25, 2021

After decades of a misguided approach to antitrust policy, Washington has a new antimonopoly fervor, writes Senior Researcher Ron Knox.READ MORE


Listen to Ron Knox on Capitol Forum’s Podcast

Listen to Ron Knox on Capitol Forum's Podcast

Susan Holmberg

June 20, 2021

Senior Research Ron Knox was the featured guest on Capitol Forum's podcast, Second Request. They chatted about music industry monopolies and how to restore the music industry's middle class.READ MORE


In The New York Times: How a Labor & Small Business Alliance Could Rebuild the Middle Class

In The New York Times: How a Labor & Small Business Alliance Could Rebuild the Middle Class

Susan Holmberg

June 18, 2021

Labor and small business were once natural allies in a New Deal coalition that backed muscular policies to limit corporate power and build a thriving middle class. A growing antimonopoly movement is rekindling this alliance, writes Stacy Mitchell in The New York Times.READ MORE


Sen. Klobuchar Calls for Breakups in Town Hall Co-Hosted by Small Business Rising

Sen. Klobuchar Calls for Breakups in Town Hall Co-Hosted by Small Business Rising

Hannah Henderson-Charnow

June 17, 2021

"Unless you force some divestiture of assets, [monopolies are] going to just keep going the way they are... Yes, breakup[s have] to be on the table when it comes to these companies," Senator Klobuchar at a town hall event co-hosted by Small Business Rising.READ MORE


Centering Racial Justice in the Antimonopoly Fight — Episode 128 of Building Local Power

Centering Racial Justice in the Antimonopoly Fight — Episode 128 of Building Local Power

Jess Del Fiacco

June 10, 2021

Host Jess Del Fiacco and ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell are joined by Solana Rice and Jeremie Greer of Liberation in a Generation. They discuss their recent publication Anti-Monopoly Activism: Reclaiming Power through Racial Justice. READ MORE


New York Bill Moving Through Senate Takes on Monopoly Power

New York Bill Moving Through Senate Takes on Monopoly Power

Ron Knox

May 20, 2021

A groundbreaking new bill moving through the New York State Senate this week will, if enacted, greatly enhance the ability of the state and private plaintiffs to take on monopoly power and level the playing field for independent businesses in New York.READ MORE


Senate Briefing Features Communities Impacted by Monopoly Power

Senate Briefing Features Communities Impacted by Monopoly Power

Katy Milani

May 12, 2021

Stacy Mitchell participated in a Senate briefing with other leading experts, organizers, and impacted communities to expose the ways monopoly power poses a threat to our democracy, the health of our economy, and our country’s already severe racial disparities.READ MORE


Senate Testimony: Concentration is at the Root of Rural Distress

Senate Testimony: Concentration is at the Root of Rural Distress

Katy Milani

April 27, 2021

The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs invited Co-Director Stacy Mitchell to testify at its April 20th hearing on the state of the rural economy. Stacy spoke on why rural America is in crisis and attributed the widening gap between struggling rural towns and coastal supercities to the concentration of corporate and financial power.READ MORE


Small Business Rising is Fighting Monopoly Power — Episode 124 of Building Local Power

Small Business Rising is Fighting Monopoly Power — Episode 124 of Building Local Power

Jess Del Fiacco

April 15, 2021

Small business owners Danny Caine and Natasha Amott discuss Small Business Rising, a coalition that is calling on federal policymakers to reign in monopoly power.READ MORE


Independent Businesses Launch Coalition to Fight Monopoly Power

Independent Businesses Launch Coalition to Fight Monopoly Power

Virgil McDill

April 6, 2021

A new coalition of independent businesses is launching today to urge policymakers to rein in monopoly power and level the playing field that has long left them at a competitive disadvantage.READ MORE


New Report Sheds Light on America’s Monopolized Energy Sector . . . and How We Can Fix It

New Report Sheds Light on America’s Monopolized Energy Sector . . . and How We Can Fix It

Virgil McDill

April 1, 2021

In this report, we look at how America’s monopoly problem extends into the energy and electricity sector. This report is the latest in a series from ILSR focused on fighting monopoly power.READ MORE


In Wired: Big Music Needs to Be Broken Up to Save the Industry

In Wired: Big Music Needs to Be Broken Up to Save the Industry

Susan Holmberg

March 16, 2021

Ron Knox explains how consolidation in the music industry, like the pandemic, has been disastrous for artists. The monopolization of three chokepoints in the distribution of music — record labels, streaming, and live venues — is making it impossible for the broad “middle class” of artists to reach listeners.READ MORE


Is Amazon Picking Winners and Losers Among America’s Cities? — Episode 121 of Building Local Power

Is Amazon Picking Winners and Losers Among America's Cities? — Episode 121 of Building Local Power

Jess Del Fiacco

March 4, 2021

Host Jess Del Fiacco and ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell are joined by award-winning journalist Alec MacGillis to discuss his new book, Fulfillment. Their conversation focuses on how the shift toward online shopping — led by Amazon — has reshaped America.READ MORE


Our Antimonopoly Town Hall Draws Nearly 400 Small Businesses

Our Antimonopoly Town Hall Draws Nearly 400 Small Businesses

Katy Milani

February 25, 2021

Nearly 400 people tuned into our lively town hall on February 22nd, which detailed how Amazon’s growing dominance hurts independent businesses and what Congress must do to curb monopoly power. The event featured Congressman David Cicilline, along with leading antitrust experts and small business advocates.READ MORE


ILSR Organizes Roundtable with Rep. Cicilline, Small Biz Owners and Antitrust Experts on Curbing Monopolies

ILSR Organizes Roundtable with Rep. Cicilline, Small Biz Owners and Antitrust Experts on Curbing Monopolies

Virgil McDill

February 22, 2021

The roundtable event, “Reining in Monopoly Power: Small Businesses and the Push to Strengthen Antitrust Laws,” included a keynote address from Rep. Cicilline, as well as moderated conversations with small business owners.READ MORE


In ProMarket: How the FTC Protected the Market Power of Pharmacy Benefit Managers

In ProMarket: How the FTC Protected the Market Power of Pharmacy Benefit Managers

Stacy Mitchell

February 19, 2021

The FTC has long protected the power of a few dominant drug middlemen, like CVS, to crush local pharmacies and fleece Medicaid programs. In this ProMarket piece, Stacy Mitchell and Zach Freed look at how the FTC not only failed to act — but worked to stop states from doing so.READ MORE


Your Antimonopoly Reading List

Your Antimonopoly Reading List

Jess Del Fiacco

February 17, 2021

In a recent presentation to ILSR staff, Christopher Mitchell shared key takeaways from six recent books on monopoly power in the United States.READ MORE


In Civil Eats: The Peanut Industry Has a Monopoly Problem

In Civil Eats: The Peanut Industry Has a Monopoly Problem

Ron Knox

January 29, 2021

Monopoly power in the peanut industry has pushed thousands of small farmers to the brink of bankruptcy. It has also made peanuts more expensive to taxpayers than any other crop in the country.READ MORE


On SiriusXM’s Tell Me Everything, Stacy Mitchell Talks about the Importance of Small Business

On SiriusXM's Tell Me Everything, Stacy Mitchell Talks about the Importance of Small Business

Susan Holmberg

December 17, 2020

Stacy Mitchell joined John Fugelsang on SiriusXM's "Tell Me Everything" to talk about small businesses as critical allies with labor in the fight to check concentrated corporate power.READ MORE


Report Explores Problem of Corporate Concentration in America’s Waste and Recycling Sectors

Report Explores Problem of Corporate Concentration in America's Waste and Recycling Sectors

Virgil McDill

December 8, 2020

A report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) does more than explain the problem of concentrated corporate power in the waste sector — it also explains how we got here, and what we can do about it.READ MORE


In The Nation, the Left Should Fight for Small Business

In The Nation, the Left Should Fight for Small Business

Susan Holmberg

December 2, 2020

It's hard to believe, but Democrats used to be the party of small business. In The Nation, Stacy Mitchell and Susan R. Holmberg argue that the left should once again embrace small business. Doing so is crucial to reversing inequality & rescuing democracy. It’s also key to winning Congress.READ MORE


How Monopolies Gained More Ground During the Pandemic

How Monopolies Gained More Ground During the Pandemic

Susan Holmberg

November 30, 2020

Stacy Mitchell talks to the Strong Towns podcast about how corporate power is concentrating during the pandemic, and what it would look like if Congress broke up Big Tech.READ MORE


Is It Finally Time to Break up Big Tech? — Episode 112 of Building Local Power

Is It Finally Time to Break up Big Tech? — Episode 112 of Building Local Power

Jess Del Fiacco

October 16, 2020

Stacy Mitchell and Ron Knox dig into the new report from the House Antitrust Subcommittee on monopoly power in digital markets.READ MORE


In the Washington Post: Why Antitrust History is So Important

In the Washington Post: Why Antitrust History is So Important

Susan Holmberg

October 8, 2020

In the Washington Post, Senior Researcher Ron Knox explains Congress's groundbreaking investigative report in terms of U.S. antitrust history.READ MORE


In the American Prospect: Revoking Big Tech’s Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card

In the American Prospect: Revoking Big Tech’s Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card

Susan Holmberg

October 5, 2020

As debates ramp up about how Congress and watchdog agencies should address the monopoly power of Big Tech, ILSR legal fellow Shaoul Sussman argues in the American Prospect that we must prioritize revoking the liability shield these platforms enjoy.READ MORE


ILSR’s Shaoul Sussman Testifies in Support of NY Antitrust Legislation

ILSR's Shaoul Sussman Testifies in Support of NY Antitrust Legislation

Zach Freed

September 17, 2020

ILSR’s legal fellow Shaoul Sussman testified before the New York State Assembly, in support of new state legislation, the Twenty-First Century Antitrust Act.READ MORE


Zephyr Teachout on Building an Antimonopoly Movement (Episode 108)

Zephyr Teachout on Building an Antimonopoly Movement (Episode 108)

Jess Del Fiacco

September 3, 2020

Zephyr Teachout, author of the new book Break 'Em Up, shares her thoughts on building an antimonopoly movement, what she finds encouraging and discouraging in our current moment, and how she approaches antimonopoly work as a democracy activist.READ MORE


Hill Briefing: Breaking the Power of Big Tech

Hill Briefing: Breaking the Power of Big Tech

Stacy Mitchell

September 2, 2020

ILSR helped organize and participated in a briefing, cosponsored by more than 40 local and national economic and racial justice, small business, and antimonopoly groups, making the case for Congress to break up and regulate Big Tech. The event included opening remarks from Congressman David Cicilline followed by two lively panels. Watch!READ MORE


Can the People Take Power Back From Big Tech? (Episode 107)

Can the People Take Power Back From Big Tech? (Episode 107)

Jess Del Fiacco

August 20, 2020

ILSR's Stacy Mitchell and Ron Knox discuss the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee's recent hearing on monopoly power in online platforms, which featured testimony from the CEOs of Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and Google. The hearing was part of an in-depth, year-long investigation of anti-competitive behavior in these companies — the first time in more than 40 years that Congress has conducted a detailed investigation of monopoly power. READ MORE


Report: Most Americans Have No Real Choice in Internet Providers

Report: Most Americans Have No Real Choice in Internet Providers

Christopher Mitchell

August 12, 2020

This report investigates broadband competition in communities across the country.READ MORE


ILSR Research Cited in Congressional Antitrust Hearing

ILSR Research Cited in Congressional Antitrust Hearing

Jess Del Fiacco

July 30, 2020

ILSR research was cited in the congressional hearing to investigate monopoly power in Big Tech.READ MORE


In Politico: Why Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple are Bad for America

In Politico: Why Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple are Bad for America

Shaoul Sussman

July 30, 2020

In advance of the CEOs of the four Big Tech giants testifying before the House Antitrust Subcommittee, ILSR legal fellow Shaoul Sussman and monopoly expert Matt Stoller articulate the implications of this investigation.READ MORE


Our Guide Gives State and Local Leaders Tools to Fight Corporate Monopolies

Our Guide Gives State and Local Leaders Tools to Fight Corporate Monopolies

Jess Del Fiacco

July 15, 2020

As state and local leaders grapple with how to create a true recovery — one that lifts wages, fosters small businesses, and rebalances power — combating outsized corporate power is a key strategy. Check out ILSR's guide to antimonopoly policies for states and cities.READ MORE


In Slate: Break Up Budweiser

In Slate: Break Up Budweiser

Susan Holmberg

July 10, 2020

In Slate, Ron Knox explains that the beer industry is not the craft brewery utopia we like to imagine. Misguided policies have allowed monopolies to dominate the market, creating a bottleneck that undermines small breweries.READ MORE


ILSR Submits Recommendations for Antitrust Reform to Congressional Committee

ILSR Submits Recommendations for Antitrust Reform to Congressional Committee

Zach Freed

May 11, 2020

Stacy Mitchell provides the House Judiciary Committee with recommendations for future antitrust legislation.READ MORE


In the American Prospect: Monopolies in Meat

In the American Prospect: Monopolies in Meat

Ron Knox

May 4, 2020

ILSR Senior Researcher Ron Knox explains how a regulatory system that is supposed to protect the food supply has instead led to giant slaughterhouses rampant with Covid-19. READ MORE


In the Washington Post: We’re Short on Hospital Beds Because of Hospital Consolidation

In the Washington Post: We're Short on Hospital Beds Because of Hospital Consolidation

Ron Knox

April 8, 2020

In the Washington Post, Senior Researcher Ron Knox and Roosevelt Institute co-author Andrea Flynn explain how monopoly power is impacting Americans' access to health care, particular hospitals' ability to fight the COVID-19 crisis.READ MORE


Democratizing Antitrust with Harry First (Episode 91)

Democratizing Antitrust with Harry First (Episode 91)

Zach Freed

February 6, 2020

Host Stacy Mitchell talks with Harry First about how competition policy has become captured by technocratic lawyers and economists, and strayed from its roots as a political movement for economic justice.READ MORE


Reining in Pharmacy Middlemen

Reining in Pharmacy Middlemen

Zach Freed

January 31, 2020

READ MORE


How to Reclaim Antitrust for Working People with Sanjukta Paul (Episode 87)

How to Reclaim Antitrust for Working People with Sanjukta Paul (Episode 87)

Hibba Meraay

December 12, 2019

Host Stacy Mitchell is joined by Sanjukta Paul, law professor and antitrust and labor expert. They delve into how antitrust laws have been used to hamper the efforts of workers and unions while corporations get a blank check.READ MORE


Matt Stoller on Monopoly Power and Democracy (Episode 83)

Matt Stoller on Monopoly Power and Democracy (Episode 83)

Hibba Meraay

October 17, 2019

Host Stacy Mitchell is joined by Matt Stoller, fellow at the Open Markets Institute, for a conversation about Matt's new book Goliath: The 100 Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy. READ MORE


Is Congress Starting to Take Antitrust Seriously? (Episode 79)

Is Congress Starting to Take Antitrust Seriously? (Episode 79)

Hibba Meraay

August 22, 2019

Building Local Power Host Zach Freed is joined by ILSR's Stacy Mitchell to discuss the team's most recent efforts in fighting monopolies.READ MORE


Independent Musicians and the Anti-Monopoly Movement (Episode 76)

Independent Musicians and the Anti-Monopoly Movement (Episode 76)

Hibba Meraay

July 11, 2019

Host Zach Freed is joined by Kevin Erickson, Director of the Future of Music Coalition, to talk about the music industry's role in the growing anti-monopoly movement.READ MORE


Report: Walmart’s Monopolization of Local Grocery Markets

Report: Walmart’s Monopolization of Local Grocery Markets

Stacy Mitchell

June 26, 2019

In 43 metropolitan areas and 160 smaller markets, Walmart controls 50 percent or more of the local grocery market. No other corporation in history has ever amassed this degree of control over the U.S. food system. Our findings provide a stark illustration of the failings of contemporary antitrust policy.READ MORE


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

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

Stacy Mitchell

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

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


Stacy Mitchell in The Atlantic: Democrats Were Once Small Business Champions

Stacy Mitchell in The Atlantic: Democrats Were Once Small Business Champions

Charlie Thaxton

May 16, 2019

In The Atlantic, Stacy Mitchell focuses on the Democrats' forgotten role as small business champions, and on Elizabeth Warren's reclaiming of the monopoly trustbusting tradition.READ MORE


ILSR Joins Petition to Ban Non-Compete Agreements, Highlights Harm to Local Businesses and Entrepreneurship

ILSR Joins Petition to Ban Non-Compete Agreements, Highlights Harm to Local Businesses and Entrepreneurship

Charlie Thaxton

March 20, 2019

ILSR joined a petition calling on the FTC to ban non-compete agreements. We offer a rundown of how they undermine entrepreneurship and small businesses.READ MORE


Statement on Sen. Warren’s proposal to Break Up Big Tech

Statement on Sen. Warren's proposal to Break Up Big Tech

Stacy Mitchell

March 8, 2019

ILSR applauds Senator Warren’s plan to restore the balance of power in our democracy and revive competition by breaking up big tech companies.READ MORE


ILSR Submits Comments to the FTC on Staples / Essendant Merger

ILSR Submits Comments to the FTC on Staples / Essendant Merger

Zach Freed

February 26, 2019

ILSR's comments explain why this merger will harm competition, undermine independent office supply businesses, and accelerate Amazon’s dominance of this industry, and why the FTC needs to take a much tougher stance on deals like this.READ MORE


The FTC is Approving a Merger that Will Help Staples and Amazon Cripple Independent Businesses

The FTC is Approving a Merger that Will Help Staples and Amazon Cripple Independent Businesses

Stacy Mitchell

February 26, 2019

The FTC recently gave Staples the green light to buy one of the two wholesalers that sell to independent office supply dealers. The decision hardly made a blip in the news cycle. But it sheds enormous insight into the origins of the big-get-bigger U.S. economy.READ MORE


People Love Local Food. Yet Local Farmers are Disappearing. What’s Going On? (Episode 65)

People Love Local Food. Yet Local Farmers are Disappearing. What’s Going On? (Episode 65)

Hibba Meraay

February 7, 2019

Host Stacy Mitchell speaks with Leah Douglas, a reporter covering the political economy of food. They discuss corporate concentration in the food industry and the future of American farming.READ MORE


In FTC Hearings, a Few Bright Spots Amid a Pro-Monopoly Status Quo

In FTC Hearings, a Few Bright Spots Amid a Pro-Monopoly Status Quo

Zach Freed

November 2, 2018

The FTC is examining the state of antitrust policy. Many of those invited to testify have reinforced the status quo, but moments of dissent show the consensus is facing an emerging challenge.READ MORE


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

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

Zach Freed

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


Running for Congress on an Anti-Monopoly Platform (Episode 53)

Running for Congress on an Anti-Monopoly Platform (Episode 53)

Hibba Meraay

August 23, 2018

Host Stacy Mitchell is joined by Austin Frerick, former Iowa congressional candidate, to discuss election campaigns that focus on challenging concentrated power.READ MORE


With Antitrust Ruling, Supreme Court Underscores Need for New Anti-Monopoly Movement

With Antitrust Ruling, Supreme Court Underscores Need for New Anti-Monopoly Movement

Stacy Mitchell

June 29, 2018

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in the case Ohio v. American Express makes even more clear the importance of the growing movement of citizens and elected officials to restore U.S. antitrust laws to their original strength and purpose, and to tackle the power of Big Tech head-on through new policies.READ MORE


Why Aren’t Wages Rising? The Answer Sounds a Lot Like Monopoly (Episode 42)

Why Aren't Wages Rising? The Answer Sounds a Lot Like Monopoly (Episode 42)

Nick Stumo-Langer

March 22, 2018

Marshall Steinbaum, a labor economist and research director at the Roosevelt Institute, sits down with Stacy Mitchell to discuss what is keeping American's wages low and the prevalence of monopsony in our economy.READ MORE


6 Ways to Rein In Today’s Monopolies

6 Ways to Rein In Today’s Monopolies

Stacy Mitchell

February 16, 2018

Monopolies are strangling competition and cutting off opportunity. In this feature for The Nation, we show how to stop them.READ MORE


In The Nation: Amazon Doesn’t Just Want to Dominate the Market—It Wants to Become the Market

In The Nation: Amazon Doesn’t Just Want to Dominate the Market—It Wants to Become the Market

Stacy Mitchell

February 15, 2018

Stacy's Mitchell's 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


Beating the Monopolies: Barry Lynn Explains How We Will Win (Episode 30)

Beating the Monopolies: Barry Lynn Explains How We Will Win (Episode 30)

Nick Stumo-Langer

October 5, 2017

In this episode of the Building Local Power podcast, ILSR co-director Stacy Mitchell sits down with Barry Lynn, head of the Open Markets Institute, to talk about how we fight concentrated corporate power and its impact on our liberty and democracy.READ MORE


With Whole Foods Deal, Amazon’s Empire Grows (Episode 28)

With Whole Foods Deal, Amazon's Empire Grows (Episode 28)

Nick Stumo-Langer

September 7, 2017

On the latest episode of the Building Local Power podcast, Stacy Mitchell talks about the Amazon-Whole Foods deal, how it fits into the company's long-term strategy, and why the government should have blocked it.READ MORE


The Rise and Fall of the Word ‘Monopoly’ in American Life

The Rise and Fall of the Word 'Monopoly' in American Life

Stacy Mitchell

June 20, 2017

In this piece for The Atlantic, ILSR's Stacy Mitchell looks at the history of the anti-monopoly movement in the U.S. — and how today, as economic concentration soars, monopoly could again be just the word we need.READ MORE


ILSR Report on “Monopoly Power and the Decline Small Business” Receives Award for Antitrust Scholarship

ILSR Report on "Monopoly Power and the Decline Small Business" Receives Award for Antitrust Scholarship

Nick Stumo-Langer

June 12, 2017

A report published by ILSR is recognized as “Best Antitrust and Small Business Article” as part of the annual Jerry S. Cohen Award for Antitrust Scholarship.READ MORE


America’s Major Market Power Problem (Episode 13)

America's Major Market Power Problem (Episode 13)

Nick Stumo-Langer

March 9, 2017

In this episode of the Building Local Power podcast, ILSR's Christopher Mitchell and Stacy Mitchell talk about entrepreneurship — both how it's plummeted in recent years, and how to bring it back.READ MORE


Report: Monopoly Power and the Decline of Small Business

Report: Monopoly Power and the Decline of Small Business

Stacy Mitchell

August 10, 2016

Small businesses have been in steep decline. In this report, we argue that anticompetitive behavior by large, dominant corporations is largely to blame and present three reasons to bring a commitment to fair markets for small businesses back into antitrust policy. The report won an award for antitrust scholarship in 2017.READ MORE


After Three Decades of Neglect, Antitrust Is Back on the Democratic Platform

After Three Decades of Neglect, Antitrust Is Back on the Democratic Platform

Stacy Mitchell

August 4, 2016

For the first time in 28 years, the Democratic Party platform calls for vigorous, stepped-up enforcement of our anti-monopoly laws. This remarkable shift in policy was made possible in part by the Bernie Sanders movement, but it's also the product of years of advocacy by scholars and activists who believe that high levels of concentration in banking, retail, agribusiness and other sectors are ravaging our economy and democracy.READ MORE


Stacy Mitchell Speaks at American Antitrust Institute’s “Symposium on Entrepreneurship and Antitrust”

Stacy Mitchell Speaks at American Antitrust Institute's "Symposium on Entrepreneurship and Antitrust"

ILSR

September 2, 2015

In these remarks, made on a panel at an American Antitrust Institute event, ILSR's Stacy Mitchell makes the case that the national thinking on antitrust has gone awry since the 1970s, when antitrust shifted away from its longstanding goal of maintaining robust competition to focus instead on efficiency and low prices.READ MORE


Watch: Stacy Mitchell Testifies on Federal Policy to Support Strong Local Economies

Watch: Stacy Mitchell Testifies on Federal Policy to Support Strong Local Economies

ILSR

April 30, 2015

In this video, ILSR's Stacy Mitchell testifies at a hearing held by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, about how federal contracting and other forms of financial support for business should be overhauled to reflect American values and build the kind of economy we need.READ MORE


Testimony to Congress: Overhaul Federal Policy to Support Strong Local Economies

Testimony to Congress: Overhaul Federal Policy to Support Strong Local Economies

Stacy Mitchell

April 16, 2015

This week, ILSR's Stacy Mitchell shared her research and perspective with members of Congress at a hearing organized by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The forum focused on how federal contracting and other forms of financial support for business should be overhauled to reflect American values of fairness, opportunity, and broad prosperity.READ MORE


Remembering David Carr, and His Writing on Monopoly Power

Remembering David Carr, and His Writing on Monopoly Power

Stacy Mitchell

February 18, 2015

What will we do without David Carr, the brilliant media columnist at the New York Times who died last week? At ILSR, we will especially miss his writing on monopoly power, Amazon, and the book business. We’ve excerpted and linked to a few of his best recent pieces on those subjects.READ MORE


A Localist Agenda: Policy and Politics for Building a Community-Scaled Economy (Video)

A Localist Agenda: Policy and Politics for Building a Community-Scaled Economy (Video)

Stacy Mitchell

October 1, 2014

In this panel at the New Economy Coalition's 2014 conference, ILSR's Stacy Mitchell, together with Barry Lynn of Open Markets and Aaron Bartley of PUSH Buffalo, talk about crafting a countervailing political narrative and shared policy framework for devolving economic power and building a community-scaled economy.READ MORE