Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ANTITRUST NEWS: AAI releases latest paper in report on antitrust, entrepreneurship, (Aug 10, 2016)

By Greg Hammond, J.D.

The American Antitrust Institute (AAI) yesterday released the fifth installment in its Report on Antitrust and Entrepreneurship, entitled "The View from the Shop – Antitrust and the Decline of America’s Independent Businesses." The article’s author, Stacey Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, discusses how small businesses have been declining sharply across many sectors of the economy, which has been caused—in part—by dominant firms’ anticompetitive behavior.

"These abuses have gone unchecked because of changes in the ideological framework guiding antitrust enforcement," Mitchell writes, noting that 35 years ago, policymakers focused on maximizing efficiency, as opposed to maintaining fair and open markets for all competitors. She discusses three reasons why policymakers should bring a commitment to small businesses and fair markets back into antitrust policy, including: (1) small businesses deliver distinct consumer benefits; (2) they contribute to a more equitable distribution of income and opportunity; and (3) they safeguard democracy.

The Report on Antitrust and Entrepreneurship will consist of seven papers that examine the important relationship between entrepreneurial activity and competition policy and enforcement. AAI notes that its focus on antitrust and entrepreneurship is "motivated by the importance of entrepreneurial activity for competition and economic growth."

News: Antitrust