Platform - Green Party US Section IV. Economic Justice and Sustainability K. Anti-Trust EnforcementThe Green Party supports strong and effectively enforced anti-trust regulation to counteract the concentration of economic power that imposes a severe toll on the economy.
The anti-trust division of the Justice Department has had its scope and powers reduced.
An explosion of unregulated mergers and acquisitions, spinoffs, and leveraged buy-outs has overwhelmed the federal government's capacity to provide effective oversight.
Financial and trading markets have become particularly vulnerable to insider trading. Securities and Exchange Commission regulation of these markets has seriously fallen short.
Overall, what we see in unchecked market power is self-serving abuse of the democratic political process, price gouging, loss of productivity and jobs, reduced competitiveness, and of predatory and monopolistic practices.
- The Federal Trade Commission must vigorously oversee mergers where the combined sales of the companies exceeds $1 billion.
- The Justice Department must redefine"relevant market share" in assessing mergers.
- The Congress must enact its calls for competitiveness by stopping illegal monopolistic practices.
- We oppose the largesse of government in the form of massive corporate entitlements.