Trump's Deregulation Gamble: A Golden Age or Corporate Giveaway?

President Donald Trump’s latest Executive Order, signed on April 9, 2025, promises to usher in what his administration calls a 'Golden Age of American economic prosperity.' The directive tasks agency heads with dismantling regulations deemed anti-competitive, aiming to lower prices and spark innovation. On its surface, it’s a pitch that sounds appealing, especially to everyday Americans weary of rising costs and stagnant wages. Who wouldn’t want more options at the grocery store or faster tech breakthroughs?

But peel back the glossy rhetoric, and a grimmer picture emerges. This isn’t about empowering consumers or small businesses; it’s a reckless gamble that hands the keys to our economy to the very corporations already squeezing us dry. History whispers warnings we can’t ignore, from airline monopolies to banking collapses, and the stakes are too high to pretend this is just another policy tweak. Advocates for workers and consumers see through the sheen, arguing it’s less a golden age and more a gilded cage for the powerful.

The order’s champions claim competition thrives when government steps back. They’re not entirely wrong; reducing red tape can jolt markets awake. Yet, without guardrails, this approach risks unleashing chaos, not prosperity. It’s a narrative that seduces with simplicity but crumbles under scrutiny, and those who care about fairness in our economy are right to sound the alarm.

Let’s talk evidence, not ideology. The order directs agency heads to scour their rulebooks with the Federal Trade Commission and Attorney General, targeting anything that might stifle competition. Think monopolies, entry barriers, or clunky procurement rules. In theory, this could mean more startups breaking into tough industries. Peru proved it in 2013, when slashing local entry barriers unleashed productivity gains that left firms humming with efficiency. Canada’s projections echo this, suggesting a GDP boost if trade barriers fall.

Yet reality isn’t so tidy. Deregulation’s track record is a mixed bag at best, a rollercoaster of wins and wrecks. Take the U.S. airline industry in the 1970s. Fares dropped, sure, but consolidation soon followed, leaving smaller markets with spotty service and higher prices. Energy deregulation in Texas? It brought choice, until the 2021 freeze exposed brittle infrastructure and sent bills soaring. And don’t forget banking, where loosened rules fueled innovation, then crashed us into 2008. The pattern’s clear: strip away oversight, and big players often swallow the gains.

Supporters argue this time’s different, that Trump’s team will target only the bad rules. That’s a comforting story, but it dodges the hard truth. Without robust enforcement, deregulation doesn’t level the playing field; it tilts it toward giants who can already muscle out the little guy. Antitrust experts, buzzing with new tools in 2025, warn of algorithmic collusion and merger sprees. The data backs them up, and it’s workers and consumers who’ll pay if this goes off the rails.

Then there’s the 70-day sprint to list and ditch these rules. It’s a breakneck pace that smells more like ideology than strategy. Agencies need time to weigh impacts, not just hack away. Rushing risks gutting protections that keep markets fair, like those shielding labor from wage-fixing or noncompetes, issues the Department of Justice is finally tackling. Speed isn’t progress when it leaves us vulnerable.

Trump’s camp touts this as economic rocket fuel. But growth powered by corporate carte blanche isn’t prosperity; it’s profiteering. The public deserves markets that work for them, not just for boardrooms. History shows unchecked deregulation often ends with fewer winners and more losers, and we’ve got the scars to prove it.

One flicker of hope in this order? It nods to public input. The FTC Chairman’s tasked with asking Americans which rules choke entrepreneurship. It’s a rare chance for regular people, not just suits, to weigh in. Done right, this could channel the Biden administration’s playbook, where early stakeholder engagement shaped smarter, fairer rules. The EPA’s shown how tapping lived experiences alongside data builds trust and results.

But here’s the catch: will it matter? Past efforts, like the 1946 Administrative Procedure Act, promised participation, yet agencies often nodded politely and moved on. Well-heeled interest groups typically drown out the rest. If this becomes a suggestion box for CEOs while ignoring workers or small businesses, it’s a hollow gesture. Equity demands more than a megaphone; it needs a system that listens.

This Executive Order isn’t just a policy; it’s a crossroads. Trump’s betting on a deregulatory blitz to juice the economy, but the real winners might be the same old titans. Advocates for economic justice argue we need competition that lifts everyone, not just the top. That means keeping rules that stop monopolies, protect workers, and ensure consumers aren’t pawns in a corporate chess game.

We’ve got a choice: chase a mirage of free-market glory or build an economy with teeth, one that pairs competition with accountability. The evidence leans hard toward the latter. From Roosevelt’s trust-busting to today’s antitrust revival, progress comes when power’s checked, not unleashed. Trump’s order might spark a fleeting boom, but without guardrails, it’s a house of cards. Let’s demand better, because we deserve it.