The Antitrust Stack: A Computational Analysis of Lina Khan’s Legacy
Abstract
This paper examines Lina Khan’s legacy as FTC Chair through the lens of the “antitrust stack”—a framework that traces influence from academic discourse and public statements, through soft law instruments and enforcement actions, to binding judicial decisions. Using computational linguistics and large language models, I identify three trends. First, Khan broadened antitrust’s interest-based focus beyond consumers to include other stakeholders, especially workers. Second, she revived Senator Sherman’s original language of power while weaving structural concerns into traditional price-based arguments. Third, she made antitrust discourse more accessible to consumers, employing moral language and “speaking complaints” that reach beyond legal experts to engage the broader public. Previously, as an academic, Khan argued that traditional antitrust analysis—focused narrowly on consumers and price—failed to address Amazon’s power. As an enforcer, she adapted, making workers and sellers co-equal with consumers while co-opting Chicago School price arguments to advance Neo-Brandeisian objectives