Break up Monopolies

A free market ceases to be free when a handful of corporations control it. When monopolies tighten their grip, prices rise, wages stagnate, small businesses wither, and innovation dies. This is not capitalism—it is feudalism in a modern guise.

The solution is clear: Break them up. No company should be so powerful that it dictates policy, crushes competition, or holds the public hostage to its greed. From tech giants to pharmaceutical empires, concentrated power must be dismantled for the sake of a fair economy and a free society.

This is not punishment—it is restoration. A thriving marketplace depends on choice, competition, and opportunity. Breaking up monopolies revives local businesses, drives down costs, and ensures that success is earned, not hoarded.

Action must match outrage. Demand stronger antitrust enforcement. Support leaders who challenge corporate overreach. Refuse to accept a system that treats workers as expendable and consumers as captives.

A just economy serves the many, not the few. Break the chains of monopoly, and let fairness flourish once more.

Key Stats

1. Tech Dominance: In the technology sector, the top five companies (Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook) control over 50% of their respective markets, a concentration that stifles competition and limits innovation.

2. Pharmaceutical Price Hikes: Some drug prices have increased by as much as 500–1,000% over the past two decades due to monopolistic practices, leaving millions of Americans struggling with unaffordable healthcare costs.

3. Wage Suppression: Research shows that workers in highly concentrated industries earn, on average, 10–15% less than those in more competitive markets—even as productivity has risen by over 60% in the same period.

4. Decline in Small Business Formation: In markets dominated by a few large firms, small business creation rates drop by up to 40%, as monopolistic power crowd out entrepreneurial ventures and local competition.

5. Innovation Stifled: Economic studies reveal that increased market concentration is associated with a 30% decline in R&D spending and patent activity, indicating that monopolies significantly dampen the pace of innovation.

Our Allies

1. Open Markets Institute
   Dedicated to curbing monopoly power across industries—including tech, media, and beyond—Open Markets Institute produces research and policy proposals to rein in excessive corporate concentration.

2. Public Citizen
   A longstanding consumer advocacy group that pushes for stronger antitrust enforcement and policies to keep corporate power in check, protecting consumers and democracy.

3. American Antitrust Institute
   Focused on promoting vigorous enforcement of antitrust laws, this organization advocates for breaking up or regulating monopolistic practices to ensure fair competition in the marketplace.

4. Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR)
   ILSR works to decentralize economic power by promoting local solutions and community-based alternatives, challenging corporate consolidation and its impact on local economies.

5. Economic Policy Institute (EPI)
   Through rigorous research, EPI highlights the economic costs of monopolistic practices on workers and consumers, supporting reforms to enhance market competition and fair wages.

6. Consumer Federation of America (CFA)
   This organization works to protect consumer rights and promote fair competition by opposing corporate practices that limit choice, raise prices, and stifle innovation.

10 Steps

1. Conduct a Comprehensive Market Audit: Our objective is to quantify the extent of market concentration and its impact on consumer prices, wages, and innovation. To achieve this, we will gather and analyze data from sources such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), OECD reports, and academic studies—which show that in industries like technology and pharmaceuticals, market concentration has led to price increases of up to 20% and stifled innovation. This audit will establish an evidence-based baseline that demonstrates the urgent need to dismantle monopolistic structures.

2. Build a Multi-Stakeholder Coalition for Antitrust Reform: Our goal is to unite diverse voices to demand a fair competitive market. We will assemble a coalition including consumer advocacy groups, small business associations, labor unions, economists, and legal experts such as those from the Brennan Center for Justice and Common Cause. By convening an inaugural summit with representatives from at least 50 organizations nationwide, we aim to create a unified front that can effectively lobby for stronger antitrust measures and build widespread public support for breaking up monopolies.

3. Develop a Detailed Legislative and Regulatory Agenda: Our objective is to outline a clear, actionable plan for reforming antitrust laws to break up monopolistic entities. We will craft a policy blueprint that includes specific proposals—such as mandating divestitures for companies exceeding defined market share thresholds and revising merger guidelines based on empirical evidence from sectors with over 70% market control. This agenda, backed by comparative studies from the European Union and historical precedents, will provide lawmakers with measurable benchmarks to restore competition and curb corporate overreach.

4. Launch a Data-Driven Public Awareness Campaign: Our aim is to educate the public about the economic and social costs of monopolies. Using compelling statistics—like research showing that monopolistic markets lead to lower wages and higher prices—and personal stories from affected consumers and small business owners, we will deploy a multi-platform media strategy (including social media, interactive webinars, and town halls) targeting at least 2 million Americans. The anticipated outcome is a 25% increase in public support for antitrust enforcement within one year, creating a groundswell of demand for reform.

5. Implement Targeted Lobbying and Policy Advocacy: Our objective is to secure legislative and regulatory backing for breaking up monopolies. We will organize strategic meetings and policy briefings with key members of Congress, particularly those on commerce and antitrust committees, presenting our agenda alongside hard data—such as analyses demonstrating that robust antitrust enforcement can lower consumer prices by 10–15%. By aiming to secure commitments from at least 30 influential lawmakers, we expect to generate the necessary political momentum to drive meaningful reform.

6. Mobilize Grassroots and Community Action: Our goal is to galvanize public pressure to dismantle monopolies. We will coordinate with local advocacy groups, small business networks, and community organizations to launch nationwide protests, petition drives, and digital campaigns demanding stronger antitrust enforcement. Distributing comprehensive advocacy toolkits (sample letters, social media graphics, and contact guidelines) with a target of a 40% increase in grassroots events and 500,000 petition signatures within 18 months will ensure sustained, widespread pressure on policymakers.

7. Establish a Legal Defense and Rapid Response Team for Antitrust Cases: Our objective is to protect the reform process from legal challenges by ensuring swift legal recourse. We will form a dedicated legal unit drawing on expertise from public interest law firms and organizations like the ACLU, prepared to file challenges against monopolistic practices within 48 hours of any infringement. Historical precedents show that rapid legal intervention can deter regressive corporate strategies, thereby preserving and reinforcing antitrust reforms.

8. Implement Robust Monitoring and Accountability Mechanisms: Our goal is to maintain transparency and track the effectiveness of monopoly breakup efforts. We will create an independent oversight board composed of economists, antitrust experts, and consumer advocates, and develop a publicly accessible dashboard updated quarterly with key performance indicators—such as reductions in market concentration, lower consumer prices, and increased market entry of small businesses. This continuous evaluation will allow for timely adjustments and demonstrate the reform’s impact over time.

9. Engage in Strategic Electoral Politics: Our objective is to reshape the political landscape in favor of competitive markets. We will identify and support political candidates with strong antitrust and consumer protection records, organizing targeted voter registration drives and issue-focused campaigns in key swing districts. Utilizing data from organizations like CIRCLE to focus outreach on communities most affected by monopolistic practices, we aim to mobilize tens of thousands of new, reform-minded voters ahead of the next election cycle, thereby influencing legislative priorities.

10. Institutionalize Antitrust Reform for Long-Term Impact: Our goal is to embed fair market practices into the fabric of federal and state governance for enduring change. We will partner with universities, think tanks, and policy institutes to develop standardized training programs and policy manuals that institutionalize updated antitrust laws. By establishing permanent commissions—such as a National Commission on Market Fairness—to review and update policies every two years and commissioning longitudinal studies to assess impacts on innovation, wages, and consumer prices, we will ensure that reforms evolve with changing market dynamics and continue to protect a competitive, free economy.