Corporate Welfare
When government bestows privileges—monopoly status, subsidies, bailouts, loan guarantees, targeted tax breaks—on particular firms or industries, it does so at the expense of everyone else in the economy: taxpayers, entrepreneurs, and everyday citizens. Mercatus research demonstrates how such government favoritism misdirects resources, impedes genuine economic progress, breeds corruption, and undermines the legitimacy of both the government and the private sector.
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Latest work in Corporate Welfare
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
An Interstate Compact to Phase Out Corporate Giveaways
Testimony before the Delaware General Assembly, House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Moral Hazard: Airline Edition
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Veronique de Rugy on The John Batchelor Show - Ex-Im's Pandemic Cronyism
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Don’t Be Fooled: The Export-Import Bank Is in the Big-Business Business
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How the Cronyism Sausage Is Made
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Federal COVID Relief Imposes Truce in States’ Corporate Welfare Wars
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Michael Farren on Wisconsin Public Radio - Foxconn Backs Out
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Veronique de Rugy on The John Batchelor Show - Infrastructure Corporate Welfare
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
A Waste of Money
Subsidies, such as for Project Mastodon, ineffective in corporate machinations
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
An Interstate Compact to End Company-Specific Subsidies
Testimony before the Illinois General Assembly, House Revenue and Finance Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Ending Nondisclosure Agreements Would Reduce Subsidy Waste
Testimony before the Illinois General Assembly, House Revenue and Finance Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Understanding the Harm Caused by Economic Development Subsidies
Testimony before the Finance Committee of the Common Council of the City of Fort Wayne
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Third Airline Bailout Is No Better Than the First Two Bailouts
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
An Interstate Compact to Phase Out Corporate Giveaways
Testimony before the Connecticut General Assembly, Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
An Interstate Compact to Phase Out Corporate Giveaways
Testimony before the State of Rhode Island General Assembly, House Finance Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Is There a Solution to Iowa’s — and America’s — Stadium Subsidy Cronyism?
It’s like a game of musical chairs: Politicians pull the seat out from under families and small businesses to privilege politically influential corporations.
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Veronique de Rugy on The David Webb Show - Airline Bailout
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Never Let a Good Manufactured Crisis Go to Waste
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Veronique de Rugy on The John Batchelor Show - Airline Cronyism
Latest work in Corporate Welfare
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
An Interstate Compact to Phase Out Corporate Giveaways
Testimony before the Delaware General Assembly, House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Moral Hazard: Airline Edition
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Veronique de Rugy on The John Batchelor Show - Ex-Im's Pandemic Cronyism
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Don’t Be Fooled: The Export-Import Bank Is in the Big-Business Business
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How the Cronyism Sausage Is Made
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Federal COVID Relief Imposes Truce in States’ Corporate Welfare Wars
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Michael Farren on Wisconsin Public Radio - Foxconn Backs Out
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Veronique de Rugy on The John Batchelor Show - Infrastructure Corporate Welfare
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
A Waste of Money
Subsidies, such as for Project Mastodon, ineffective in corporate machinations
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
An Interstate Compact to End Company-Specific Subsidies
Testimony before the Illinois General Assembly, House Revenue and Finance Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Ending Nondisclosure Agreements Would Reduce Subsidy Waste
Testimony before the Illinois General Assembly, House Revenue and Finance Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Understanding the Harm Caused by Economic Development Subsidies
Testimony before the Finance Committee of the Common Council of the City of Fort Wayne
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Third Airline Bailout Is No Better Than the First Two Bailouts
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
An Interstate Compact to Phase Out Corporate Giveaways
Testimony before the Connecticut General Assembly, Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
An Interstate Compact to Phase Out Corporate Giveaways
Testimony before the State of Rhode Island General Assembly, House Finance Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Is There a Solution to Iowa’s — and America’s — Stadium Subsidy Cronyism?
It’s like a game of musical chairs: Politicians pull the seat out from under families and small businesses to privilege politically influential corporations.
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Veronique de Rugy on The David Webb Show - Airline Bailout
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Never Let a Good Manufactured Crisis Go to Waste
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Veronique de Rugy on The John Batchelor Show - Airline Cronyism
Latest work in Corporate Welfare
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
The Ex-Im Bank Is More Responsible without a Quorum
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
A Response to “New Closed Shop: The Economic and Structural Effects of Occupational Licensure”
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Amazon HQ2 Is the Only Competition Where the Losers Are Winners
Why Economic Development Subsidies Hurt More than They Help
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
Ex-Im Exposure
The Export-Import Bank’s actions have left taxpayers exposed to $72.5 billion in risk, primarily through its loan guarantee program.
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Working Papers Working Papers
The Rise and Fall of Argentina
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
The Opportunity Cost of Corporate Welfare
Targeted Economic Development Incentives and GASB 77 State Comparisons
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
The State of Occupational Licensure in North Carolina
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
The Hidden Costs of Maryland’s Amazon Bid
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Constraining Rivals: The Effects of State-Mandated Facility Requirements on the Locations and Sizes of Funeral Homes
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
Changes in Occupational Licensing Burdens across States
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
The State of Occupational Licensure in Nevada
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Land Assembly without Eminent Domain
Laboratory Experiments of Two Tax Mechanisms
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Land Assembly without Eminent Domain: Laboratory Experiments of Two Tax Mechanisms
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Journal Articles Journal Articles
The Political Economy of Targeted Economic Development Incentives
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Targeted Economic Incentives
An Analysis of State Fiscal Policy and Regulatory Conditions
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
The State of Occupational Licensure in Michigan
- | Academic & Student Programs Academic & Student Programs
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Restoring Vision to Consumers and Competition to the Marketplace
Analyzing the Effects of Required Prescription Release
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Government Failure in the Farm Bill
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Ideology, Electoral Incentives, PAC Contributions, and the Agricultural Act of 2014
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
The State of Occupational Licensure in Nebraska
Latest work in Corporate Welfare
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Michael Farren WRVA Radio
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
Will Interstate Compacts Change the Stadium Subsidies Game?

- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Michael Farren on the POTUS Channel
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Matt Mitchell on the Jim Bohannon Radio Show
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
On the Agenda: Amazon HQ2
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Radio Appearance Radio Appearance
Michael Farren on WPTF Radio (North Carolina)
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
Michael Farren on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
Occupational Licensing Reform in Illinois
The Illinois Approach and Reform Options for Other States

- | Housing Housing
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Sports Stadiums: Economic Development or Corporate Welfare?

- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
Michael Farren on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
Michael Farren on C-SPAN's Washington Journal
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
Is Wisconsin's Foxconn Investment Really Good for the Economy?

- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
Matt Mitchell Discusses the Foxconn Deal on CNBC
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Mercatus Original Video Mercatus Original Video
Reframing Dodd-Frank: Hester Peirce’s Ideas for Reform
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Mercatus Original Video Mercatus Original Video
Let Nurses Do Their Jobs: Reform Scope-of-Practice Laws
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
Christopher Koopman on Ending Corporate Welfare
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
Veronique de Rugy on Fox Business

- | Housing Housing
- | Mercatus Original Video Mercatus Original Video
The Wrath of CON | How Certificate-Of-Need Laws Affect Access to Health Care

Latest work in Corporate Welfare
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Michigan's Certificate-of-Need Program: Lessons from Research
Testimony before the Michigan Senate Committee on Health Policy and Human Services
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Barriers to Work in the Mountain State
Testimony before the West Virginia Legislature, Joint Standing Committee on Government Organization
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Tennessee's Certificate-of-Need Program: Lessons from Research
Testimony before the Tennessee Certificate-of-Need Working Group
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Ending the Economic Race to the Bottom: An Interstate Compact Is a Win-Win Solution to Subsidies
Testimony before the Utah State Legislature Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
Comments on the Ex-Im Bank's Proposed Additionality Criteria
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
Comments on the Ex-Im Bank's Current Economic Impact Procedures
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
Comments on the Ex-Im Bank's Proposed Additionality Criteria
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Alaska's CON Law: Lessons from Three Decades of Research
Testimony before the Alaska Senate Health and Social Services Committee
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Florida's CON Law: Lessons from Three Decades of Research
Testimony before the Florida House of Representatives, Health Market Reform Subcommittee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Ohio Occupational Licensing: Barriers to Opportunity in the Buckeye State
Testimony before the Ohio House Federalism and Interstate Relations Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Texas Occupational Licensing: Barriers to Opportunity in the Lone Star State
Testimony before the Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Virginia’s Certificate-of-Public-Need Law: A Comparison with Other States
Testimony before the Virginia House of Delegates; Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee
- | Academic & Student Programs Academic & Student Programs
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
An Economic Analysis of Graduate Education Subsidies
Letter to The Honorable Adam Kissel, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Colorado Occupation Licensing: Barriers to Opportunity in the Centennial State
Letter to the Colorado State Senate Committee on Business, Labor, and Technology
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Alaska's Certificate-of-Need Law
Testimony before the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
The Effects of Occupational Licensure on Competition, Consumers, and the Workforce
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Mississippi's Certificate-of-Need Law
Testimony before the Public Health and Human Services Committee, Mississippi House of Representatives
- | Academic & Student Programs Academic & Student Programs
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Federal Testimonies Federal Testimonies
Bridging the Skills Gap
Testimony before the House Small Business Committee, Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access Examining the Small Business Labor Market
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Wisconsin Occupational Licensing: Barriers to Opportunity in the Badger State
Testimony before the Senate Committee on Public Benefit, Licensing and State/Federal Relations and the Assembly Committee on Regulatory Licensing Reform
- | Academic & Student Programs Academic & Student Programs
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Back to the Future: A Guide for Reforming Indianapolis's Taxi Regulations
Testimony before the Indianapolis Taxi Reform Study Commission
Latest work in Corporate Welfare
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How Your Taxes Subsidize the Super Bowl — and How That Might Change
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Memo to Team Biden: Rein in the Export-Import Bank
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
A Different Fiscal Fix for State, Local Governments
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Equal Liberty Agenda
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
$75 Billion in Band-Aids Won't Cure Ailing Airlines
Airlines keep claiming they need a second bailout to bring back 35,000 furloughed employees. Don't buy their argument.
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Fake Jobs, Fake News: Fake Foxconn Comes Further Into Focus
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Always-Evolving but Still-Bogus Argument for Airline Bailouts
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
A Very Bad Bet
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Why Certain Corporations Get Bailed Out & What You Might Do About It
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
What Was Pelosi’s Taxpayer Ransom’s Goal?
You assume that the airline bailout would be stimulative. Yet bailouts benefit mostly shareholders and creditors rather than workers.
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
$75 Billion in Band-Aids Won't Cure Ailing Airlines
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Once Again, the Export-Import Bank Dogs Taxpayers With Pemex
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Canceling Spectator Sports Won’t Cancel Cash-Strapped Taxpayers’ Stadium Debt
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Airlines Once Again Approach Congress With Captain's Hat in Hand
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
I Study Corporate Welfare. Even I Was Shocked by This Cronyism.
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Tesla’s Factory Will Be Good for Texas, but the Subsidies Were Likely a Waste of Money
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Let’s Fix the Laws Around Hospital Capacity Before the Next Health Crisis
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How More States Can Free up Emergency Health Care
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Right Fix for Opportunity Zones
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary