Trustee Elections
These are the original issues in this subcategory
  • D.C. STATEHOOD
  • PRESIDENTIAL POWER
  • ANTITRUST REFORM
Winning Issue » ANTITRUST REFORM


Antitrust laws are regulations that encourage competition by limiting the market share of corporations. This often involves ensuring that mergers and acquisitions don't overly concentrate market power or form monopolies, as well as breaking up firms that have become monopolies. Many Americans believe that during the past 30-40 years, our economy has been rigged against American consumers. Critics claim corporate lobbying has unduly influenced our representatives, making them less responsive to their constituents and allowing firms to “concentrate” their market power at the expense of consumers and small businesses. They say illegal corporate collusion has drastically reduced real competition between “competitors” and resulted in many de-facto monopolies.

Among others, our healthcare, petroleum, agriculture, airline, telecom and tech industries have all been accused of gaming the system in favor of increased profits. They claim collusion exists among the providers of most of the products and services upon which American consumers depend. The Justice Department’s antitrust division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are the government’s two antitrust enforcers but they have not been aggressive or effective enough to protect the American marketplace from corporate greed. Consumer advocates say this has gone on long enough.

Pending Legislation: S.225 - The Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act
Sponsor: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Status: Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Chair: Sen. Dick Durban (IL)



Options


  • I oppose reforming current antitrust reform policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Leader Charles Schumer.
  • I support reforming current antitrust laws and the agencies tasked with enforcing them by:

    1.) Shifting the burden to parties seeking a merger to prove that they would not create a risk of lessening competition.

    2.) Restricting acquisitions by a dominant firm with 50% market share, and acquisitions of firms by competitors and mega-merger transactions valued at $5 billion or more.

    3.) Adding an additional $300 million to Justice Department’s antitrust division and the Federal Trade Commission’s annual budget and authorize them to seek civil fines for competition violations.

    4.) Creating an independent Competition Advocate at the FTC.

    5.) Eliminating the requirement that claimants almost always define a relevant market in order to establish liability in antitrust court cases.

    6.) Requiring studies by the FTC and Government Accountability Office on competition.

    And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Sen. Dick Durban (IL) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.


Winning Option
  • I support reforming current antitrust laws and the agencies tasked with enforcing them by:

    1.) Shifting the burden to parties seeking a merger to prove that they would not create a risk of lessening competition.

    2.) Restricting acquisitions by a dominant firm with 50% market share, and acquisitions of firms by competitors and mega-merger transactions valued at $5 billion or more.

    3.) Adding an additional $300 million to Justice Department’s antitrust division and the Federal Trade Commission’s annual budget and authorize them to seek civil fines for competition violations.

    4.) Creating an independent Competition Advocate at the FTC.

    5.) Eliminating the requirement that claimants almost always define a relevant market in order to establish liability in antitrust court cases.

    6.) Requiring studies by the FTC and Government Accountability Office on competition.

    And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Sen. Dick Durban (IL) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.
There has been $0.00 pledged in support of this issue
Trustee Candidates

If elected as a trustee, the campaign committee of Sen. Dick Durban (IL) will be unconditionally awarded the funds pledged to this issue along with a letter requesting him to favorably consider passing S.225 - The Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act.

If elected as a trustee, American Antitrust Institute will be awarded the funds pledged to this issue along with a letter requesting these funds be used to work and advocate against the harm done to consumers by monopolies.

Mission: The American Antitrust Institute is an independent, nonprofit organization devoted to promoting competition that protects consumers, businesses and society. We serve the public through research, education and advocacy on the benefits of competition and the use of antitrust enforcement as a vital component of national and international competition policy. AAI supports a vigorous public and private enforcement of antitrust laws, believing that protecting markets, competition, innovation, consumers and workers is fundamental to ensuring economic and entrepreneurial freedom and the underlying democratic values embedded in our market system.
To participate in the Trustee Election you must first pledge support to this issue.
Click here if you wish to make a pledge.
Trustee Election - Opening Date
October 25, 2021
Trustee Election - Closing Date
November 1, 2021