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).

338. How to Catch World Cup Fever
For soccer fans, it’s easy. For the rest of us? Not so much, especially since the U.S. team didn’t qualify. So here’s what to watch for even if you have no team to root for.…
337. How to Build a Smart City
We are in the midst of a historic (and wholly unpredicted) rise in urbanization. But it’s hard to retrofit old cities for the 21st century. Enter Dan Doctoroff. The man who helped modernize New York…
How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns? (Rebroadcast)
Nearly two percent of America is grassy green. Sure, lawns are beautiful and useful and they smell great. But are the costs — financial, environmental and otherwise — worth the benefits?
336. The Most Vilified Industry in America Is Also the Most Charitable
Pharmaceutical firms donate an enormous amount of their products (and some cash too). But it doesn’t seem to be helping their reputation. We ask Pfizer’s generosity chief why the company gives so much, who it…
335. Does Doing Good Give You License to Be Bad?
Corporate Social Responsibility programs can attract better job applicants who’ll work for less money. But they also encourage employees to misbehave. Don’t laugh — you too probably engage in “moral licensing,” even if you don’t…
334. 5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing
We all like to throw around terms that describe human behavior — “bystander apathy” and “steep learning curve” and “hard-wired.” Most of the time, they don’t actually mean what we think they mean. But don’t…
Evolution, Accelerated (Rebroadcast)
A breakthrough in genetic technology has given humans more power than ever to change nature. It could help eliminate hunger and disease; it could also lead to the sort of dystopia we used to only…
333. The Most Ambitious Thing Humans Have Ever Attempted
Sure, medical progress has been astounding. But today the U.S. spends more on healthcare than any other country, with so-so outcomes. Atul Gawande — cancer surgeon, public-health researcher, and best-selling author — has some simple…