Economic Doctrines and Approaches to Antitrust

Abstract

There is considerable disagreement on optimal antitrust policy both within the United States and between the United States and some other nations and regions. These fundamental disagreements over the right approach to competition don’t stem principally from politics, rather they stem from doctrine – the overarching view of antitrust held by regulators and other policy makers. In a new report, ITIF examines the four principle antitrust doctrines, how they influence approaches to and positions on antitrust including on particular antitrust issues (e.g., monopoly, collusion, pricing, and mergers) and how the field of antitrust can move forward to better cope with the challenges of the 21st century, innovation-based global economy.