The DOJ Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission announced they had identified over 125 federal regulations for review and potential elimination under Trump’s Executive Order on Reducing Anti-Competitive Regulatory Barriers. The initiative represents a systematic dismantling of …
Department of JusticeFederal Trade Commission (FTC)Trump Administrationderegulationantitrustregulatory-capturecorporate-welfare
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced formal reconsideration of 2009 Endangerment Finding on July 29, calling repeal “largest deregulatory action in history of America.” Finding declared CO2 and 5 other GHGs endanger public health. Repeal would eliminate legal basis for all climate …
EPALee ZeldinDonald TrumpDepartment of Energyclimateenvironmental-rollbackderegulationendangerment-finding
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced on March 12, 2025, that the agency will undertake 31 sweeping deregulatory actions targeting decades of environmental and public health protections. Zeldin described it as “the biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history” and “the greatest and …
Lee ZeldinEPAEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)Donald TrumpNancy Beck+2 moreepaenvironmental-rollbackclimate-crisispollutionpublic-health+4 more
California regulators close Silicon Valley Bank and appoint the FDIC as receiver after a catastrophic bank run, marking the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history and the largest since the 2008 financial crisis. SVB, the 16th largest U.S. bank with $212 billion in assets, collapses due to …
Silicon Valley BankGreg BeckerFDICFederal ReserveCalifornia DFPI+2 morebanking-collapseregulatory-capturederegulationdodd-franksystemic-risk+3 more
Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the EPA lacked authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants through generation shifting, formally establishing the “major questions doctrine” for the first time by name in a majority opinion. Chief Justice Roberts …
Supreme CourtChief Justice John RobertsJustice Clarence ThomasJustice Samuel AlitoJustice Neil Gorsuch+9 moreclimate-changesupreme-courtjudicial-capturederegulationadministrative-state+2 more
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos formally repealed the Obama Administration’s Gainful Employment Rule on July 1, 2019, eliminating the only federal accountability mechanism that measured whether career training programs at for-profit colleges and non-degree programs at all institutions …
Betsy DeVosU.S. Department of EducationRobert EitelJulian Schmoke Jr.For-Profit College Industry+1 morefor-profit-educationderegulationregulatory-capturerevolving-doorstudent-debt+2 more
Utah Representative Ryan Wilcox and Senator Daniel McCay championed HB 474, legislation requiring legislative approval for “major” agency rules with significant economic impact, modeled directly on ALEC’s Targeted Legislative Review Act. The law created a Legislative Economic …
Ryan WilcoxDaniel McCayAmerican Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Utah State Legislatureinstitutional-capturecorporate-influenceregulatory-capturealecderegulation
President Trump signs the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S.2155), dramatically weakening post-2008 financial regulations by raising the asset threshold for ‘systemically important financial institution’ (SIFI) designation from $50 billion to $250 …
Donald TrumpGreg BeckerSilicon Valley BankMike CrapoMark Warner+3 morederegulationbankingdodd-frankregulatory-capturelobbying+2 more
The FCC, led by Chairman Ajit Pai, votes 3-2 along party lines to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules, marking a major victory for telecommunications industry interests over consumer protections. Pai, a former Verizon attorney appointed by Trump, argued the regulations represented government …
Ajit PaiDonald TrumpVerizon CommunicationsMignon ClyburnComcast+2 moreregulatory-capturefccnet-neutralityajit-paitelecommunications+2 more
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) became instrumental in advocating for the Financial CHOICE Act, legislation aimed at significantly restructuring financial regulation by repealing major parts of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Shelby, who had …
Richard ShelbySenate Banking CommitteeWall StreetDodd-Frank Actregulatory-capturefinancial-sectorbanking-committeederegulationcongressional-corruption
The Federal Communications Commission approves the Open Internet Order by a 3-2 party-line vote, establishing the first formal net neutrality regulations but with significant weaknesses that would prove legally vulnerable. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s order established three core rules: …
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)Julius GenachowskiComcast CorporationVerizon CommunicationsAT&Tnet-neutralityfcctelecommunicationsregulatory-capturederegulation
The FCC, led by Chairman Michael Powell (son of Secretary of State Colin Powell), votes 3-2 along party lines to dramatically ease media ownership restrictions despite overwhelming public opposition. The new rules would increase the national TV ownership cap from 35% to 45% of U.S. households and …
Michael K. PowellColin PowellGeorge W. BushTrent LottFCC Republican Commissioners+1 moreregulatory-capturefccmedia-consolidationderegulationmichael-powell+1 more
The Bush administration’s Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers jointly revise Clean Water Act regulations to classify mining debris and waste rock as “fill material” that can legally be dumped into streams and valleys. The rule change enables the coal …
George W. BushU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyU.S. Army Corps of EngineersCoal Industryenvironmental-destructionregulatory-capturecoal-industryadministrative-corruptionclean-water-act+2 more
In one of his final acts as president, Bill Clinton implements the “Roadless Rule,” prohibiting road construction, timber harvest, and most commercial development on nearly 58 million acres of pristine national forest land—more than a quarter of the entire National Forest System. The …
Bill ClintonU.S. Forest ServiceTimber IndustryMining Industryenvironmentpublic-landsderegulationnatural-resourcesconservation+1 more
President Bill Clinton signed the Commodity Futures Modernization Act (CFMA) into law on his last day before Christmas recess, completing the deregulation of the derivatives market that Brooksley Born had warned against two years earlier. The legislation, inserted into a 10,000-page authorization …
Bill ClintonLawrence SummersPhil GrammAlan GreenspanWall Street derivatives dealersderivativesderegulationcfmafinancial-crisiscredit-default-swaps+1 more
In the early evening of Friday, December 15, 2000, with Christmas recess only hours away and the presidential election still unresolved, the U.S. Senate rushes to pass an essential 11,000-page government reauthorization bill. Senator Phil Gramm of Texas inserts a complex 262-page amendment - the …
Phil GrammU.S. SenateU.S. House of RepresentativesBill ClintonEnron Corporationderivativescfmalegislative-corruptionenron-loopholelame-duck+2 more
President Bill Clinton signs the U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000, granting China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status and ending the annual congressional review process that had existed since 1980 under Jackson-Vanik provisions. The House passed the legislation on May 24, 2000 and the …
Bill ClintonU.S. SenateU.S. House of RepresentativesChinese governmentCorporate Lobbies+1 morechinatrade-policywtopntrglobalization+3 more
By August 30, 2000, Clear Channel Communications completed its acquisition of AMFM Inc., creating a radio empire of 1,240 stations nationwide—representing a 30-fold increase from the 40 stations Clear Channel owned before the 1996 Telecommunications Act eliminated ownership caps. This unprecedented …
Clear Channel CommunicationsRush LimbaughAMFM Inc.Lowry MaysRepublican Partymedia-consolidationradio-monopolyconservative-mediatalk-radiopropaganda+3 more
The Federal Communications Commission approves Viacom’s $35.6 billion acquisition of CBS Corporation despite the merger violating FCC regulations prohibiting one company from owning television stations reaching more than 35% of the U.S. audience and prohibiting ownership of two networks if one …
ViacomCBS CorporationSumner RedstoneMel KarmazinFCC Federal Communications Commissionmedia-consolidationtelecommunicationsmergerfccderegulation+2 more
The NASDAQ Composite stock market index peaks at 5,048.62 on Friday, March 10, 2000, marking the height of the dot-com bubble before collapsing 78% to 1,114 by October 2002, erasing all gains made during the bubble. Between 1995 and the March 2000 peak, NASDAQ investments rise 600% in what becomes …
Investment BanksSecurities AnalystsSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC)NASDAQVenture Capitalists+1 morederegulationregulatory-capturesecurities-fraudanalyst-conflictsirrational-exuberance+2 more
America Online (AOL), the nation’s dominant Internet service provider, announces its intention to purchase Time Warner for $164 billion in the largest media merger in history. The combined entity would control magazines, video and high-speed Internet cable, cable TV channels (including CNN, …
America OnlineTime WarnerSteve CaseGerald LevinFTC Federal Trade Commission+1 moremedia-consolidationtelecommunicationsmergerderegulationinternet+2 more
President Bill Clinton signs the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (Financial Services Modernization Act) into law on November 12, 1999, repealing key provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 that separated commercial banking from investment banking and insurance. The Senate passes the final bill 90-8 on …
Phil GrammJim LeachThomas J. Bliley Jr.Bill ClintonRobert Rubin+4 morederegulationregulatory-captureneoliberalismbanking-deregulationfinancial-crisis-precursor+3 more
The President’s Working Group on Financial Markets issues a unanimous report recommending that over-the-counter derivatives be explicitly exempted from federal regulation, directly repudiating CFTC Chair Brooksley Born’s 1998 warnings about systemic risk. The report is signed by Treasury …
Lawrence SummersRobert RubinAlan GreenspanArthur LevittBill Rainer+1 morederivativesderegulationcfmafinancial-crisisregulatory-capture+2 more
The U.S. Senate confirms Lawrence Summers as the 71st Secretary of the Treasury, replacing Robert Rubin and continuing the aggressive deregulation agenda. Summers had spent the previous year as Deputy Secretary orchestrating opposition to derivatives regulation, including making an “irate …
Lawrence SummersBill ClintonRobert RubinU.S. SenateWall Street derivatives dealerstreasuryderivativesderegulationrevolving-doorfinancial-crisis+2 more
Time Magazine publishes its February 15, 1999 edition featuring Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, Deputy Secretary Lawrence Summers, and Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan on the cover as “The Committee to Save the World,” celebrating their management of the 1997-1998 Asian and …
Robert RubinLawrence SummersAlan GreenspanTime MagazineBrooksley Bornderivativesderegulationfinancial-crisismedia-propagandaregulatory-capture+2 more
On October 7, 1998, President Bill Clinton signed the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act that loosened regulations on for-profit colleges and set the stage for the industry’s explosive growth over the following decade. The legislation represented …
President Bill ClintonCongressApollo Group (University of Phoenix)Career Education CorporationHigher education lobbyistseducationfor-profit-collegesstudent-debtregulatory-capturederegulation
NationsBank completes its $62 billion acquisition of BankAmerica Corporation, creating the first truly coast-to-coast national bank in U.S. history and taking the Bank of America name. The merger occurs just one year before the formal repeal of Glass-Steagall, demonstrating how banking consolidation …
NationsBankBankAmericaFederal ReserveDepartment of JusticeHugh McCollbanking-consolidationmergersglass-steagallderegulationmarket-concentration+1 more
Citicorp CEO John Reed and Travelers Group CEO Sanford Weill announce on April 6, 1998, the merger of their companies to form Citigroup, a $140 billion conglomerate combining banking, securities, and insurance services under brands including Citibank, Smith Barney, Primerica, and Travelers. The …
Sanford WeillJohn ReedCiticorpTravelers GroupFederal Reserve+3 morederegulationregulatory-captureneoliberalismbanking-deregulationcorporate-power+2 more
The Telecommunications Act of 1996’s media consolidation provisions trigger massive job losses across American journalism, gutting local news coverage and professional media employment. In radio alone, cities that once had 100 jobs for radio professionals now have perhaps 20, an 80% reduction …
Media ConglomeratesLocal news stationsRadio JournalistsNewspaper ReportersFCC Federal Communications Commissiontelecommunicationsmedia-consolidationjournalism-declinelayoffslocal-news+2 more
Clear Channel Communications begins an unprecedented consolidation spree following the February 1996 Telecommunications Act, acquiring $581 million worth of radio and television stations within just four months of the act’s passage. Before the Telecommunications Act eliminated ownership caps, …
Clear Channel CommunicationsLowry MaysFCC Federal Communications CommissionLocal Radio Stationstelecommunicationsmedia-consolidationradioclear-channelderegulation+2 more
President Bill Clinton signs the Telecommunications Act of 1996 into law, eliminating the national cap on radio station ownership (previously 40 stations maximum) and increasing the television audience reach cap from 25% to 35%, triggering one of the largest media consolidation waves in American …
Bill ClintonU.S. CongressFederal Communications Commission (FCC)Clear Channel CommunicationsViacom+1 moremedia-consolidationderegulationtelecommunications-actcorporate-lobbyingfcc+2 more
President Bill Clinton signs the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) into law, creating the first major free trade agreement to include Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions binding developed nations. NAFTA’s Chapter 11 establishes corporate tribunals that allow …
Bill ClintonAl GoreRobert RubinNAFTA Corporate LobbiesMexican Government+1 morenaftafree-tradecorporate-tribunalsisdsinvestor-state-disputes+3 more
On her final day as Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Wendy Gramm approves a regulatory exemption allowing Enron to trade energy derivatives without CFTC oversight. The exemption, granted on January 14, 1993 (some sources cite January 21, the final day of the George H.W. Bush …
Wendy GrammPhil GrammEnron CorporationCFTC Commodity Futures Trading CommissionKenneth Layderivativescorruptionrevolving-doorenronenergy-trading+3 more
Ronald Reagan leaves office with a domestic legacy of systematic corruption, regulatory capture, and policy failures that define American political economy for decades. The S&L crisis triggered by his deregulation will ultimately cost taxpayers $160 billion and require prosecuting 1,000+ bankers …
Ronald ReaganGeorge H.W. BushAmerican publicreagan-legacycorruptionpolicy-failureeconomic-inequalityderegulation
FCC Chairman Dennis R. Patrick’s Commission votes 4-0 to abolish the Fairness Doctrine in the Syracuse Peace Council decision, eliminating the 38-year requirement that broadcast licensees using publicly-owned airwaves must provide balanced coverage of controversial issues and present opposing …
Dennis R. PatrickFederal Communications Commission (FCC)Ronald ReaganMark S. FowlerMimi Weyforth Dawson+3 moremedia-regulationfairness-doctrinederegulationfccregulatory-capture+3 more
Under Reagan administration SEC Chairman John Shad, former vice chairman of E.F. Hutton, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopts Rule 10b-18, creating a ‘safe harbor’ from manipulation liability for corporate stock repurchases. Prior to this rule, large-scale share repurchases were …
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)John ShadRonald Reaganseccorporate-powerwealth-extractionstock-buybacksderegulation+1 more
President Reagan signs the Garn-St Germain Depository Institutions Act in the Rose Garden, calling it “the most important legislation for financial institutions in the last 50 years.” The Act removes Depression-era constraints on thrift asset holdings, allows S&Ls to make high-risk …
Ronald ReaganJake Garn (R-UT)Fernand St Germain (D-RI)Chuck SchumerSteny Hoyer+2 morederegulationthrift-industryregulatory-capturereagan-administrations&l-crisis+1 more
President Ronald Reagan appointed Robert Bork to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on February 9, 1982, elevating the author of “The Antitrust Paradox” to the federal bench widely considered the nation’s second-most important court. Bork’s …
Robert BorkRonald ReaganDC Circuit Court of AppealsFederalist SocietyDepartment of Justice Antitrust Division+1 morejudicial-captureantitrust-abandonmentchicago-schoolfederalist-societyconservative-movement+3 more
The Department of Justice and AT&T finalize the antitrust settlement requiring the telecommunications giant to divest its seven regional Bell operating companies (Baby Bells) in 1984, breaking up the AT&T natural monopoly. However, this settlement paradoxically marks the end rather than …
AT&TDepartment of JusticeRonald ReaganRobert Borkantitrustmonopolyderegulationreagan-administrationcorporate-power
President Reagan appoints James Watt, former president of Mountain States Legal Foundation (funded by Coors and oil companies), as Interior Secretary. Watt immediately opens federal lands to mining and drilling, reverses environmental protections, and staffs the department with industry executives. …
Ronald ReaganJames WattMountain States Legal FoundationCoors CompanyOil Industryreagan-eraregulatory-capturederegulationinterior-departmentoil-industry
President Jimmy Carter signed the Natural Gas Policy Act (NGPA) into law on November 9, 1978, following Senate passage on September 27 (57-42 vote) and House passage on October 14 (231-168 vote). The legislation was part of Carter’s National Energy Act of 1978, a response to the 1973 energy …
Jimmy Carterderegulationenergy-policyneoliberalismcorporate-profit
President Jimmy Carter signed the Airline Deregulation Act into law on October 24, 1978, marking the first time in U.S. history that an industry was deregulated and removing federal control over airline fares, routes, and market entry. In 1977, Carter had appointed Cornell economics professor Alfred …
Jimmy CarterAlfred KahnEdward KennedyStephen Breyerderegulationneoliberalismlabor-rightscorporate-consolidation
The Office of Price Administration effectively ends on November 9, 1946, when President Truman removes controls on most consumer goods following intense corporate lobbying and deliberate business disruption. The premature decontrol triggers an immediate inflationary spike that harms consumers while …
Office of Price AdministrationHarry TrumanNational Association of ManufacturersU.S. Chamber of CommerceCongress+1 morederegulationcorporate-influenceinflationprice-controlsconsumer-exploitation
President Truman signs the Employment Act of 1946 on February 20, a dramatically weakened version of the Full Employment Bill of 1945. The original bill would have guaranteed a federal job to every American seeking work and required the government to maintain full employment. After intensive …
CongressHarry TrumanNational Association of ManufacturersU.S. Chamber of CommerceCouncil of Economic Advisers+1 morecorporate-influencelabor-policyeconomic-policylegislative-capturederegulation
A second wave of banking panics erupts in June 1931 centered in Chicago, where depositor runs beset networks of banks that had invested in declining real estate assets, resulting in approximately 2,300 bank suspensions during 1931—significantly more than the 1,350 failures in 1930. The crisis …
Herbert HooverFederal ReserveAmerican bankersdepositorsfinancial-crisisbankinggreat-depressionderegulationinstitutional-failure