Learning Economics Online
Inspired by Thom’s wonderful post on market “wonder moments,” which was itself inspired by the availability of free class notes and syllabi from the likes of Yale, Notre Dame and MIT on the web, I thought I would share a few of my favorite free, or at least not very expensive (and maybe not so ... Learning Economics Online
Kerr on Exam Answers
Orin Kerr gives an hypothetical law school question and works his way through what makes law school exam answers good, bad, or terrific. As a general matter, I find myself in agreement with the distinctions between answers that Orin makes, including the following: To get a top grade, a student needs to identify the relevant ... Kerr on Exam Answers
Wright on Pasquale on TOTM on DRM
Frank Pasquale has taken the time to respond to my earlier post on the use of antitrust to tax consumers on the grounds of fairness or other vague criteria. I take the basic point of Frank’s post to be that I have engaged in unfair burden shifting by demanding a showing of consumer harm prior ... Wright on Pasquale on TOTM on DRM
Using Antitrust to Tax Consumers is a Bad Idea Even If You Really, Really Want "True" Interoperability
There is some antitrust buzz in the air after Steve Job’s “Thoughts on Music,” which discussed the possibility of eliminating DRM entirely. The real antitrust story, I suspect, is whether the rather transparent attempt to shift the gaze of regulators fixated on the iPod/iTunes combo to the big four’s “refusal” to go DRM-free will have ... Using Antitrust to Tax Consumers is a Bad Idea Even If You Really, Really Want "True" Interoperability
Shelf Space Again: Congress Announces Antitrust Investigation of the Grocery Market
Representative Kucinich has announced that the House Oversight and Government Reform Domestic Policy Subcommittee will be launching an investigation into “a variety of marketplace issues including monopolies in the grocery industry.” HT: AntitrustProf Blog. Hearings are apparently tentatively scheduled for mid-month. What is the committee looking for? Just about anything. Here’s a description of the ... Shelf Space Again: Congress Announces Antitrust Investigation of the Grocery Market
Hazlett on the Madness of e-Crowds
This piece by my colleague Tom Hazlett is really the best thing I’ve read online all week and has been getting some attention across the blogosphere (see, e.g., here and here) and I’m happy to contribute by posting Hazlett’s characteristically powerful punchline: The point is not that “closed†beats “open,†but that capitalism accommodates both. ... Hazlett on the Madness of e-Crowds
Barriers to Entry
I have had occasion to think about the relationship between property rights and barriers to entry lately, and was reminded of the following line which I thought well worth posting on its own: “Even the operation of an unregulated market system presupposes the general recognition of property rights, but the problem of defining ownership is ... Barriers to Entry
Rizzo and Whitman on Paternalist Slopes
Libertarian paternalism, behavioral law and economics, and “soft” paternalism are topics of discussion here on TOTM from time to time (see, e.g. here, here, and here). Two very good economists who think about these problems quite a bit, Mario Rizzo (NYU) and Glen Whitman (Agoraphilia, CSUN), have posted their paper “Paternalist Slopes.” I had the ... Rizzo and Whitman on Paternalist Slopes
UCLA Law Hires Doug Lichtman
So says Eugene Volokh, so it must be true. This strikes me as a wonderful hire for my alma mater and a big loss for Chicago. Congrats to UCLA and to Professor Lichtman.
Happy Milton Friedman Day
From the Milton Friedman Day website: Dr. Milton Friedman was perhaps the most influential economist of the 20th Century, and the impact of his ideas will extend far into the future. To honor the man, January 29th is declared as Milton Friedman Day – a celebration of the economist’s positive impact on American life and ... Happy Milton Friedman Day
AMC Releases Tentative Recommendations
The tentative recommendations of the Antitrust Modernization Committee are out, and include Commissioner vote counts for various propositions. The recommendations largely take the form of propositions that the AMC Commissioners joined, did not join, or were undetermined. Here are a few that caught my eye on an initial read-through (note that 2-5 apply to merger ... AMC Releases Tentative Recommendations
Henderson on Judicial Pay: Constitutional Crises Everywhere or Nowhere?
Bill Henderson has a nice post on Chief Justice Roberts’ claim that judicial pay has reached the point of creating a “constitutional crisis.” Lots of bloggers (see, e.g., my colleague Ilya Somin at VC) have made the point that they are not impressed with the data the Chief has mustered in favor the assertion that ... Henderson on Judicial Pay: Constitutional Crises Everywhere or Nowhere?
