The Archives

Everything written by Luke M. Froeb on law, economics, and more

Subsidies to “Flatten the Curve”

Summary: Trying to quarantine everyone until a vaccine is available doesn’t seem feasible. In addition, restrictions mainly delay when the epidemic explodes, e.g., see previous post on Flattening the Curve. In this paper, we propose subsidies to both individuals and businesses, to better align private incentives with social goals, while leaving it up to individuals and ... Subsidies to “Flatten the Curve”

What Does “Flattening the Curve” Mean?

Policy makers are using the term to describe the effects of social distancing and travel restrictions.  In this post, we use a cellular automata model of infection to show how they might do this. DISCLAIMER:  THIS IS AN UNREALISTIC MODEL, FOR TEACHING PURPOSES ONLY. The images below are from a cellular automata model of the spread of a disease ... What Does “Flattening the Curve” Mean?

Werden and Froeb: The Conspicuous Silences of the Proposed Vertical Merger Guidelines

The proposed Vertical Merger Guidelines provide little practical guidance, especially on the key issue of what would lead one of the Agencies to determine that it will not challenge a vertical merger. Although they list the theories on which the Agencies focus and factors the Agencies “may consider,” the proposed Guidelines do not set out ... Werden and Froeb: The Conspicuous Silences of the Proposed Vertical Merger Guidelines

Calling into Question the FTC’s Theory of the Case in FTC v. Qualcomm

This post does not attempt to answer the question of what the court should decide in FTC v. Qualcomm because we do not have access to the information that would allow us to make such a determination. Rather, we focus on economic issues confronting the court by drawing heavily from our writings in this area: ... Calling into Question the FTC’s Theory of the Case in FTC v. Qualcomm

Merger Enforcement Without Market Definition?

The Horizontal Merger Guidelines have brought discipline to the unruly world of merger analysis; but have also accommodated advances in our understanding of the myriad ways in which firms compete and how mergers affect such competition.  However, in cases where there is better information about the effects of the merger than there is about the ... Merger Enforcement Without Market Definition?