About this episode
Lina Khan, the youngest F.T.C. chair in history, reset U.S. antitrust policy by thwarting mega-mergers and other monopolistic behavior. This earned her enemies in some places, and big fans in others — including the Trump administration. Stephen Dubner speaks with Khan about her tactics, her track record, and her future. SOURCES: Lina Khan, former commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission and professor of law at Columbia Law School. RESOURCES: " Merger Guidelines " (U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, 2023). " The Rise of Market Power and the Macroeconomic Implications, " by Jan De Loecker, Jan Eeckhout, and Gabriel Unger (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2019). " US Antitrust Law and Policy in Historical Perspective, " by Laura Phillips Sawyer (Harvard Business School, 2019). The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age, by Tim Wu (2018). " Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox, " by Lina Khan (Yale Law Journal, 2017). " A Tempest In a Coffee Shop, " by Tanya Mohn (New York Times, 2004). EXTRAS: " The Economics of Eyeglasses, " by Freakonomics Radio (2024). " Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog? " by Freakonomics Radio (2023). " Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy? " by Freakonomics Radio (2023). " Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China — and How About Russia? (Update) " by Freakonomics Radio (2022). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.