The Archives

The collection of all scholarly commentary on law, economics, and more

Showing results for:  “coase”

ACS Blog Debate on Google: Retrograde Antitrust Analysis is No Fit for Google

I am participating in an online “debate” at the American Constitution Society with Professor Ben Edelman.  The debate consists of an opening statement and concluding responses to be posted later in the week.  Professor Edelman’s opening statement is here.  I am cross-posting my opening statement here at TOTM, and will cross-post my closing statement later ... ACS Blog Debate on Google: Retrograde Antitrust Analysis is No Fit for Google

Nobel Speculation: Armen Alchian, Harold Demsetz and Benjamin Klein Should Win the Prize in 2011

Its time to dust off (and slightly update) an old post for its annual republication around this time each year.   With the start of the school year comes another fall tradition here at TOTM: Nobel speculation. More specifically, every fall I yell from the rooftops that some combination of Armen Alchian, Harold Demsetz and Ben ... Nobel Speculation: Armen Alchian, Harold Demsetz and Benjamin Klein Should Win the Prize in 2011

Debiasing: Firms Versus Administrative Agencies

Daniel Kahnemann and co-authors discuss, in the most recent issue of the Harvard Business Review (HT: Brian McCann), various strategies for debiasing individual decisions that impact firm performance.  Much of the advice boils down to more conscious deliberation about decisions, incorporating awareness that individuals can be biased into firm-level decisions, and subjecting decisions to more ... Debiasing: Firms Versus Administrative Agencies

Search Bias and Antitrust

There is an antitrust debate brewing concerning Google and “search bias,” a term used to describe search engine results that preference the content of the search provider.  For example, Google might list Google Maps prominently if one searches “maps” or Microsoft’s Bing might prominently place Microsoft affiliated content or products. Apparently both antitrust investigations and ... Search Bias and Antitrust

Business Law and the Austrian Theory of the Firm

My Missouri colleague, Peter Klein, of Organizations and Markets fame (and, like Larry, a proud non-voter), has been asked to contribute a book chapter on the Austrian theory of the firm and the law. Peter, who has written extensively on the Austrian theory of the firm and maintains an online bibliography on the subject, is ... Business Law and the Austrian Theory of the Firm

Competition in the Evolving Digital Marketplace–Congressional Hearing

I will be testifying tomorrow before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy on competition in the digital marketplace.  My testimony won’t be surprising to readers of this blog–in fact some of it was lifted directly from blog posts that have appeared here.  Also on the panel are Richard Feinstein from the ... Competition in the Evolving Digital Marketplace–Congressional Hearing

What’s Missing from Tyler’s IO Reading List

Tyler Cowen has posted the reading list for his 2010 Industrial Organization class in the George Mason economics department.  He asks for recommendations.  Below the fold are my suggestions to supplement Section I or II of Cowen’s reading list. The first order of business is getting Coase, Klein, Crawford Alchian (1978), Alchian and Demsetz (1972) ... What’s Missing from Tyler’s IO Reading List

Nudging Antitrust? Commissioner Rosch’s Weak Case for “Behavioral Antitrust” (Part 1)

Increasingly, the notion that updating antitrust policy with the insights of behavioral economics would significantly improve matters for consumers.   Others have called for more major surgery, favoring an outright rejection of the current economic foundation of antitrust policy — and especially the portions of the foundation “Made in Chicago” — in favor of a new ... Nudging Antitrust? Commissioner Rosch’s Weak Case for “Behavioral Antitrust” (Part 1)

Correcting the Record: AAG Varney and the Chicago School's Premature "Retirement"

Geoff recently highlighted AAG Christine Varney’s closing remarks at the Horizontal Merger Guidelines workshop and was fairly critical.   Thom intervened to suggest that we at TOTM, while fairly critical of the agencies from time to time, also give credit where it is due — highlighting AAG Varney’s RPM article.  OK, that’s enough credit for now. ... Correcting the Record: AAG Varney and the Chicago School's Premature "Retirement"

Should Antitrust Exempt Joint Monopsony Conduct to Countervail Monopoly?

Geoff and Josh raise an interesting issue about collective market conduct by buyers.  Suppose that a group of final consumers face a monopolist.  Should the consumers be permitted to band together into an “association” to jointly negotiate a lower price from the monopolist?  Some would say that such buyer “cooperatives” are permitted, whereas others would ... Should Antitrust Exempt Joint Monopsony Conduct to Countervail Monopoly?

Armen Alchian, Harold Demsetz and Ben Klein Should Win the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics

With the start of the school year comes another fall tradition here at TOTM: Nobel speculation.  More specifically, every fall I yell from the rooftops that some combination of Armen Alchian, Harold Demsetz and Ben Klein should win the award.  In 2006, I argued that the UCLA trio outperformed the more conventionally wise trio of ... Armen Alchian, Harold Demsetz and Ben Klein Should Win the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics

Commissioner Rosch, Rhetoric, and the Relationship Between Economics and Antitrust

Economic theory is essential to antitrust law.  It is economic analysis that constrains antitrust law and harnesses it so that it is used to protect consumers rather than competitors.  And the relationship between economics and antitrust is responsible for the successful evolution of antitrust from its economically incoherent origins to its present state.  In my ... Commissioner Rosch, Rhetoric, and the Relationship Between Economics and Antitrust