The Atlantic

What Democratic Contenders Are Missing in the Race to Revive Antitrust

At the end of the day, legal decisions are made by judges.
Source: Karen Pulfer Focht / Reuters

Updated at 10:40 a.m. ET on April 5, 2019.

Antitrust law has recently emerged as a critical issue among Democratic presidential contenders. Senator Elizabeth Warren threw down the gauntlet with her ambitious plan to overhaul antitrust law’s treatment of technology platforms and appoint enforcers who would break up tech giants such as Amazon, Google, and Facebook. Senator Amy Klobuchar quickly responded with her own call to investigate whether such breakups are warranted. Retweeting Warren, Representative Tulsi Gabbard promised to introduce similar legislation in the House of Representatives. Pressed for a response to Warren, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg conceded that high levels of market concentration should “set off alarms.”

But every proposal to date—from Buttigieg’s

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