Comparative competition policy

de G. Bruce Doern, Stephen Wilks

This collection provides the first authoritative comparison of competition policy in the main capitalist economies. It takes a public policy approach which cuts through the traditional arenas of lawyers and economists to deal with the role of institutions, policy processes, and political priorities. This book provides definitive (and in some cases unique) studies of the six 'model' regimes of the USA, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Each chapter is written by eminent country specialists, is based on original research, and is up to date. The comparative dimension is presented in explicit introductory and concluding chapters but the comparison is also set in the context of the globalization of economic activity and the internationalization of policy. The book therefore caters to the distinctive economic policy predicament of the 1990s - the breakdown of national models in the face of globalizing pressures. This study promises to become a standard work which will appeal to students of political science and public policy but will also be of intense interest to lawyers and practitioners. Further, since an understanding of competition policy is essential to an understanding of international competitiveness, students of economics, business studies, and political economy will find this a valuable and suggestive study.