Individual Preferences for Antitrust Policy

• In Event: Competition and Antitrust Policy in International Relations

Abstract

Market concentration has increased dramatically in recent years and calls to use antitrust policy to reduce concentration have come from both the political left and the right. Given that large firms tend to be the targets of antitrust regulation, the movement in favor of antitrust regulation and enforcement stems from small businesses and public pressure. Yet we know little about public preferences for antitrust policy. In this paper, we establish the baseline preferences of American citizens for antitrust policies and present a theory of the mechanisms shaping antitrust attitudes. Using a national survey experiment, we test public responsiveness to leading justifications for antitrust policy, which include economic efficiency, political power, and consumer benefits.

Authors

• Ryan Brutger, University of California, Berkeley

• Amy Pond, Technical University of Munich