The Federal Consent Decree Fairness Act would free state and local government from court orders that are unnecessary to protect rights, yet prevent states and localities from adopting to the lessons of experience and changing priorities.

The antitrust consent decree is a major weapon used by the federal government to enforce antitrust laws. In the past, consent decrees have been wielded aggressively to dissolve major corporations and to change the business practices of entire industries. In his new book Antitrust Consent Decrees in Theory and Practice...

This book is the first systematic study of the use and effectiveness of the antitrust consent decree in the federal enforcement of antitrust laws.

Press release/summary for the book Antitrust Consent Decrees in Theory and Practice: Why Less Is More, by Richard A. Epstein.

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Representative Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) have introduced legislation to curtail and amend federal court consent decrees. Such decrees, often running for many years or even decades, subject the state administration of federal programs (for example, Medicaid and environmental policies) to ongoing judicial oversight and...

Senator Lamar Alexander and Representative Roy Blunt argue on behalf of reforming the consent decree process that they say violates principles of federalism.

The sensible course of action in the face of uncertainty is to enact the Federal Consent Decree Fairness Act and to monitor its outcomes.