University of Chicago Press The Causes & Consequences of Antitrust: The Public Choice Perspective

Why has antitrust legislation not lived up to its promise of promoting free-market competition and protecting consumers? Assessing 100 years of antitrust policy in the United States, this book shows that while the antitrust laws claim to serve the public good, they are as vulnerable to the influence of special interest groups as are agricultural, welfare or health-care policies. Presenting empirical research, the authors explain how antitrust caters to self-serving business interests at the expense of the consumer.