News

U.S. Chamber Executive Vice President Neil Bradley appeared on the Wall Street Journal Opinion’s All Things with Kim Strassel podcast to assess the state of the American economy and issue a call to defend free enterprise.

Why it matters: There is a growing anti-free enterprise movement amassing in pop culture, educational institutions, and political races. Supporters of economic freedom need to make an affirmative case for it.

Big picture: When families struggle to afford a home or groceries, the instinct is to blame business. Bradley pushed back noting that overregulation and government interference are often the culprits.

What he said: "Free markets are actually the solution to giving you more choices at lower price points and lifting your wages,” Bradley told Strassel

• But: “If we don't change the framework for how people think about business and how people think about capitalism, we risk losing a lot of these policy battles and ultimately the system."

Be smart: Defending free enterprise is an urgent, bipartisan challenge. Anti-free enterprise sentiment is rising on two fronts: a socialist movement promising government solutions, and a populist strain skeptical of business. When Americans are frustrated about the economy, leaders across the aisle need to make the case for the surest path to opportunity, affordability, and upward mobility—which is free enterprise.

Looking ahead: The entrepreneurial spirit is still thriving. “Where I find optimism and where the Chamber finds optimism is last year, a record number of Americans chose to start a business—5.6 million new business applications, our highest ever,” Bradley said. “You can't help but be optimistic about our system and about free enterprise when there are millions of people doing that.”

WATCH

Learn more:

The New Fight for Free Enterprise