About
The mission of the Resilient World Systems program at Open Markets is to develop and advocate for policies that ensure the security, independence, and prosperity of the people of the United States and of all peoples around the world. It is based on the belief that the stability of the world’s industrial, financial, communications, and political systems requires careful coordinated management by national governments.
Over the last generation, the United States and its allies allowed super-large corporations and mercantilist nations to concentrate power and control within these systems in ways that have created many grave economic and political dangers. One result is that many of these systems are now subject to cascading and potentially catastrophic crashes and severe shortages even of vital goods such as foods and medical supplies. A second result is a breakdown of international cooperation and a growing number of cross-border industrial conflicts. Other results include the manipulation of vital news and information, the disruption of democratic debate, and the choking off of climate-friendly technological innovations.
Open Markets is recognized around the world as a pioneer in the study and design of resilient and open international systems. Over the years, our work has deeply shaped thinking among officials in the United States, Europe, Japan, and China, as well as in the IMF and World Bank. Our new partnership with the OECD resulted in the important transatlantic conference Shock Proof to discuss the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Publications
In this issue, we examine whether comments made by the presiding judge in the Google Search trial indicate that the court may be considering structural remedies for the tech giant, such as divestment of certain business units.
Open Markets Executive Director Barry Lynn testified at a U.S. Trade Representative public hearing on May 2nd, 2024 on “Supply Chain Resilience.”
Following Congress’s votes to ban Tiktok, executive director Barry Lynn urges lawmakers to take a holistic approach to addressing the many threats posed by surveillance- and manipulation-driven business models.
The Open Markets submitted a comment letter calling for aggressive action, including the use of tariff and quotas, to diversify U.S. supply chains.
In this issue, we describe the UK’s efforts to block the United Arab Emirates from pushing into the country’s media market, and ask whether this offers a model for how the U.S. can handle foreign investment of U.S. media assets.
Open Markets Europe director Max Von Thun was interviewed on “The Tech Brief” podcast, where he discussed how Europe can better approach competition policy and directed listeners to a recently published manifesto, which outlined how the European Union can put antimonopoly at the heart of its policy agenda.
Center for Journalism and Liberty director Dr. Courtney Radsch was quoted in an article on preventing the spread of fake news.
Open Markets Institute was mentioned in an article in support of Beth Baltzan, an adviser to the U.S. Trade Representative’s office and a former senior fellow at OMI, who is being targeted by Big Tech firms and the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page.
Open Markets Institute’s executive director Barry Lynn called for regulators to focus on harms to democracy and human liberty.
Editorial director Anita Jain analyzes journalist Fareed Zakaria’s newest book Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present, and his notions on unorthodox “revolutions” that have shaped our society.