Government-Created Monopolies

The cluster centers on debates about whether monopolies arise naturally in free markets or are primarily created, enforced, or protected by governments through regulations, patents, and interventions. Commenters argue that government actions stifle competition and enable monopolistic abuses rather than preventing them.

📉 Falling 0.5x Politics & Society
3,845
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#989
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
2
2008
19
2009
59
2010
60
2011
103
2012
109
2013
188
2014
207
2015
122
2016
194
2017
350
2018
271
2019
265
2020
341
2021
327
2022
264
2023
346
2024
319
2025
283
2026
16

Keywords

IE6 US janefriedman.com www.wsj monopolies monopoly government granted competition governments enforced regulated prisons prisoners

Sample Comments

digitaltrees May 15, 2020 View on HN

Government is not a monopoly. There are many governments. Besides sovereign countries there are regional and local divisions. Often also branches with separate powers. While not quite the same competition as companies there is certainly competition and checks and balances such that typical monopoly analysis is not really suitable.

mmmlinux Jun 6, 2025 View on HN

sounds like a bit of a government sanctioned monopoly.

jessaustin Sep 5, 2018 View on HN

Perhaps you meant, "thanks government-enforced monopoly"?

ThunderSizzle Mar 10, 2022 View on HN

I assume it's a monopoly that a/the government created/enforces?

schmidty Aug 23, 2016 View on HN

How is government protecting a monopoly free market exactly?

sbhn May 11, 2018 View on HN

Governments are in the business of creating monopolies.

criddell Oct 3, 2018 View on HN

Being a monopoly isn't the problem. It's when monopoly power is abused that the government steps in.

smokeyj May 16, 2011 View on HN

Governments stifle competition and promote monopolies. Don't believe what they tell you.

wildmusings Jun 22, 2018 View on HN

That is a government-granted monopoly. There is no such dynamic here.

HDThoreaun Jul 8, 2023 View on HN

Competition works. Your examples are government granted monopolies which are obviously terrible