Controlling Mergers and Market Power: A Program for Reviving Antitrust in America

John Kwokas Controlling Mergers and Market Power: A Program for Reviving Antitrust in America is an important and timely contribution from a prominent antitrust economist and policy advisor. It has been many decades since questions about antitrust enforcement have been so prominent in political economic and scholarly debate. Mergers in countless industries rising concentration throughout the economy and the dominance of tech giants have brought renewed attention to the role and the responsibility of antitrust policy. But scholarly analysis of these issues which Professor Kwoka has already contributed to in many ways is not by itself enough. Once the underlying problems have been identified and documented commentators and policymakers need to take the next step and provide sensible enforceable and economically rational proposals to address them. The purpose of this book is to do just that. Controlling Mergers and Market Power sets out a comprehensive detailed and rigorous program to revive antitrust and merger control in particular in the U.S. It analyzes the specific failures and weaknesses of current policy. Then drawing on contemporary economic research and experience it develops a series of specific proposals for reforming and revitalizing antitrust policy. Collectively these reforms would reverse the trend toward a narrow permissive antitrust policy and strengthen competition in the economy. Few are better positioned to set out a program for reforming antitrust. Professor Kwokas earlier work on merger policy has been credited for its insights and for prompting renewed attention to the issues. In this new breakthrough contribution he takes us through the next and necessary steps to revive antitrust in America.