Congressional Hearings on the S&P Downgrade?
Just a month ago I linked a WSJ story highlighting criminal charges levied by the Argentine government against private consulting firms whose economists had reported inflation data. Now, Financial Times reports that the Senate is considering hearings related to S & P’s downgrade of U.S. debt. Wow. Does anyone, anywhere — regardless of their position ... Congressional Hearings on the S&P Downgrade?
The Economics of Gang Colors
Here. The article highlights an a paper stressing the role of gang colors as a commitment device to ensure higher quality criminals. The mechanism works, the authors contend, because gang colors are a handicap that increases the probability of detection and thus, low quality criminals are less likely to be able to “afford” wearing them. ... The Economics of Gang Colors
Review of Industrial Organization Special Merger Guidelines Issue
The August 2011 issue of Review of Industrial Organization is a special issue on the 2010 Horizontal Merger Guidelines edited by Roger Blair. The issue is available here, and includes articles from: Herbert Hovenkamp Robert Willig Wayne-Roy Gale, Robert C. Marshall, Leslie M. Marx and Jean-Francois Richard Roger D. Blair and Jessica S. Haynes John ... Review of Industrial Organization Special Merger Guidelines Issue
Cooper and Kovacic on Behavioral Economics and Regulatory Agencies
There is an embarrassing blind spot in the behavioral law and economics literature with respect to implementation of policy whether via legislation or administrative agency. James Cooper and William Kovacic — both currently at the Federal Trade Commission as Attorney Advisor Commissioner, respectively — aim to fill this gap with a recent working paper entitled ... Cooper and Kovacic on Behavioral Economics and Regulatory Agencies
TOTM on the Rise
Its been just over a year since TOTM remodeled and merged with Larry Ribstein’s Ideoblog. There have been a few other major changes between then and now: some changes in personnel and a few major blog symposia to start with. Its always difficult to judge how a blog is “doing.” At least part of a ... TOTM on the Rise
Maureen Ohlhausen to FTC
Congratulations to Maureen Ohlhausen on the announcement that President Obama intends to nominate her to replace William Kovacic on the Federal Trade Commission. This is an excellent appointment. The Washington Post observes: Ohlhausen comes from Wilkinson Barker Knauer law firm, where she is a partner in the firm’s privacy, data protection and cyber security practice. ... Maureen Ohlhausen to FTC
FairSearch’s Non-Sequitur Response
Our search neutrality paper has received some recent attention. While the initial response from Gordon Crovitz in the Wall Street Journal was favorable, critics are now voicing their responses. Although we appreciate FairSearch’s attempt to engage with our paper’s central claims, its response is really little more than an extended non-sequitur and fails to contribute ... FairSearch’s Non-Sequitur Response
Searching for Antitrust Remedies, Part II
In the last post, I discussed possible characterizations of Google’s conduct for purposes of antitrust analysis. A firm grasp of the economic implications of the different conceptualizations of Google’s conduct is a necessary – but not sufficient – precondition for appreciating the inconsistencies underlying the proposed remedies for Google’s alleged competitive harms. In this post, ... Searching for Antitrust Remedies, Part II
Searching for Antitrust Remedies, Part I
This is part one of a two part series of posts in which I’ll address the problems associated with discerning an appropriate antitrust remedy to alleged search engine bias. The first problem – and part – is, of course, how we should conceptualize Google’s allegedly anticompetitive conduct; in the next part, I will address how ... Searching for Antitrust Remedies, Part I
“Argentina’s government has filed criminal charges against the managers of an economic consulting firm, escalating its persecution of independent economists.”
Some context (HT: WSJ): The criminal complaint, initiated by the Commerce Secretariat, is the harshest in a series of legal measures against economists. The credibility of Indec’s data has been questioned ever since former President Nestor Kirchner replaced longtime civil servants with political appointees in early 2007. So far this year, the Secretariat has fined ... “Argentina’s government has filed criminal charges against the managers of an economic consulting firm, escalating its persecution of independent economists.”
Wolfers on Happiness and Economic Growth
Others have linked to this, but its really a fantastic video of a discussion between Justin Wolfers and Robert Frank discussing happiness and economic growth.
AAG Varney to Cravath
Of likely interest to many of our readers (HT: WSJ): Christine Varney, the U.S. government’s chief antitrust regulator, is expected to join New York law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP as a partner later this year, people familiar with the matter said. Ms. Varney was appointed assistant attorney general for the antitrust division in ... AAG Varney to Cravath
