Monopoly Power

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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

Susan Holmberg

June 25, 2021

We are at a pivotal moment in the antimonopoly movement. Lina Khan was recently named FTC chair and a Congressional committee is sending to the House floor six antitrust bills that strike at the heart of Big Tech's predatory power. After decades of a misguided approach to antitrust policy, Washington has a new antimonopoly fervor, writes Senior Researcher Ron Knox in The Washington Post.READ MORE

Fact Sheet: Why the "Ending Platform Monopolies Act" is Essential Reform

Stacy Mitchell

June 21, 2021

Our latest fact sheet shows that lawmakers cannot achieve their aim of restoring competition to our online markets without passing the structural separation bill. READ MORE

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

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

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. She was responding to a question posed by an independent bookstore owner in Minneapolis.READ MORE

Recent

Statement on the House Judiciary Committee’s Vote Approving Legislation to Break Up and Rein In Big Tech

Virgil McDill

June 24, 2021

"There’s no doubt in my mind that American democracy will ultimately prevail over the outsized power of Big Tech," said ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell. "Today’s bipartisan vote was a clear sign of the gathering momentum to break up Amazon and the other tech giants."READ MORE

Statement: New Federal Legislation to Rein in Big Tech is a Major Step Forward

Virgil McDill

June 11, 2021

Read ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell's statement in response to today’s release of legislation by the House Judiciary Committee designed to address the outsized power and destructive harms of Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook.READ MORE

ILSR Launches Weekly Antimonopoly Happy Hour

Ron Knox

June 11, 2021

Every Thursday at 6pm CT, ILSR's Ron Knox hosts the irreverent Antimonopoly Happy Hour. Over the hour-long talk show, Ron and a cast of special guests will break down the most crucial news (and gossip!) from around the world of politics, economics, and regulation.READ MORE

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, which argues for organizers of color to be centered in the anti-monopoly movement. READ MORE

Ron Knox’s Music-Monopoly Reporting is a Hit

Susan Holmberg

May 24, 2021

Ron Knox's groundbreaking Wired article — on monopoly power in the music industry — struck a chord. He’s talked to Sound & Vision, Sound Opinions, and Capitol Forum, to name a few audiences, about the monopolization of record labels, streaming services, and the live venues where artists perform. Consolidation benefits only the blockbuster musicians, leaving thousands of artists, and the independent businesses that support them, on the shelf.READ MORE

In-Depth

Report: Fewer Small Businesses are Receiving Federal Relief Loans in States Dominated by Big Banks

Stacy Mitchell

April 29, 2020

A significantly larger number of federal relief loans are reaching small businesses in states where small, local banks comprise a greater share of the market, compared to states where big banks are more dominant, an ILSR analysis has found.READ MORE

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

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

Federal Antitrust Advocacy

Statement from ILSR's Stacy Mitchell on Nomination of Lina Khan to the Federal Trade Commission

Virgil McDill

March 9, 2021

Stacy Mitchell, Co-Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, issued the following statement in response to the expected nomination of Lina Khan to the Federal Trade Commission. READ MORE

Statement from Stacy Mitchell on Big Tech Antitrust Report

Stacy Mitchell

October 6, 2020

This investigation has uncovered extensive and detailed evidence that Amazon has amassed outsized market power and is exploiting its dominance to crush competitors and monopolize markets.READ MORE

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

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

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

Audio & Video

On The Laura Flanders Show: Stacy Mitchell Discusses the Future of Antitrust Post-Election

Jordan Ashby

November 10, 2020

On The Laura Flanders Show, ILSR co-director Stacy Mitchell discusses the legacy of this year's election, takeaways from the preliminary results, and the work that needs to continue.READ MORE

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

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

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

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

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