The essence of Josh Wright’s FTC tenure was to ensure that benefits outweigh costs; the rest is commentary
As the organizer of this retrospective on Josh Wright’s tenure as FTC Commissioner, I have the (self-conferred) honor of closing out the symposium. When Josh was confirmed I wrote that: The FTC will benefit enormously from Josh’s expertise and his error cost approach to antitrust and consumer protection law will be a tremendous asset to ... The essence of Josh Wright’s FTC tenure was to ensure that benefits outweigh costs; the rest is commentary
Imagine
by Michael Baye, Bert Elwert Professor of Business at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, and former Director of the Bureau of Economics, FTC Imagine a world where competition and consumer protection authorities base their final decisions on scientific evidence of potential harm. Imagine a world where well-intentioned policymakers do not use “possibility theorems” to rationalize ... Imagine
Josh Wright’s Unfinished Legacy: Reforming FTC Consumer Protection Enforcement
by Berin Szoka, President, TechFreedom Josh Wright will doubtless be remembered for transforming how FTC polices competition. Between finally defining Unfair Methods of Competition (UMC), and his twelve dissents and multiple speeches about competition matters, he re-grounded competition policy in the error-cost framework: weighing not only costs against benefits, but also the likelihood of getting ... Josh Wright’s Unfinished Legacy: Reforming FTC Consumer Protection Enforcement
Tim Muris on Joshua Wright
by Timothy J. Muris, University Foundation Professor of Law, George Mason University and former Chairman of the FTC As the premier Antitrust scholar of his generation, Josh Wright’s appointment to the Federal Trade Commission promised to be noteworthy. He did not disappoint, having one of the most important and memorable tenures of any non-Chair over the 40 ... Tim Muris on Joshua Wright
Josh Wright and the Limits of Antitrust
Alden Abbott and I recently co-authored an article, forthcoming in the Journal of Competition Law and Economics, in which we examined the degree to which the Supreme Court and the federal enforcement agencies have recognized the inherent limits of antitrust law. We concluded that the Roberts Court has admirably acknowledged those limits and has for ... Josh Wright and the Limits of Antitrust
An Economist’s Touch: Josh Wright’s FTC Legacy
by Dan Crane, Associate Dean for Faculty and Research and Frederick Paul Furth, Sr. Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School The FTC was the brain child of Progressive Era technocrats who believed that markets could be made to run more effectively if distinguished experts in industry and economics were just put in charge. Alas, as ... An Economist’s Touch: Josh Wright’s FTC Legacy
Commissioner Joshua Wright: Colleague, Gentleman, Scholar, Public Servant
by Hon. F. Scott Kieff, Commissioner, International Trade Commission (on leave from academic post as Fred C. Stevenson Research Professor at George Washington University School of Law) I join all the others in congratulating Professor Wright on his accomplishments at the FTC. As both an academic and government official myself, I’ve long benefited from Dr. ... Commissioner Joshua Wright: Colleague, Gentleman, Scholar, Public Servant
The Legacy of Joshua Wright
by Terry Calvani, of counsel at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and formerly Acting-Chairman and Commissioner of the FTC, & Jan Rybnicek, associate at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, and former attorney advisor to Commissioner Joshua Wright. When a presidential appointee leaves office, it is quite common to consider the person’s legacy to their department or agency. We are delighted to participate in ... The Legacy of Joshua Wright
Joshua Wright: Embodying the Spirit of Bipartisanship
by Robert H. Lande, Venable Professor of Law, University of Baltimore School of Law There’s an old saying, “It’s better to light a single bipartisan candle than to curse the darkness caused by your opponents.” This might not be the way most people articulate this proverb, but in Washington D. C. anyone who, like Commissioner Joshua Wright, ... Joshua Wright: Embodying the Spirit of Bipartisanship
Josh Wright, Commissioner-Provocateur
Much ink will be spilled at this site lauding Commissioner Joshua (Josh) Wright’s many contributions to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and justly so. I will focus narrowly on Josh Wright as a law and economics “provocateur,” who used his writings and speeches to “stir the pot” and subject the FTC’s actions to a law ... Josh Wright, Commissioner-Provocateur
Ajit Pai on Joshua Wright
by Ajit Pai, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission I was saddened to learn that Commissioner Joshua Wright is resigning from the Federal Trade Commission. Commissioner Wright leaves the agency with a tremendous legacy. He brought to the FTC’s decision-making groundbreaking economic analysis, such as his opinion in Ardagh/St. Gobain that the government should evaluate possible merger ... Ajit Pai on Joshua Wright
Keith Hylton on Joshua Wright
by Keith N. Hylton, William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor, Boston University School of Law When I first heard that Josh had resigned from the FTC, I wondered if the news would cause a stock market sell-off. I checked later that day, and the Dow closed slightly up, plus .39 percent. This suggests several possible explanations. One ... Keith Hylton on Joshua Wright
