Introduction: Antitrust and the Economics of the Public Interest

• Date: 01 March 1997
• Published date: 01 March 1997
• Author: Robert J. Levinson
• DOI: 10.1177/0003603X9704200101
• Subject Matter: Symposium: Economics of Antitrust Enforcement

The Antitrust Bulletin/Spring 1997

Introduction: antitrust

and

the

economics

of

the

public

interest

BY

ROBERT

J. LEVINSON*

1

In empowering the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and

prosecute antitrust cases, Congress mandated that

Whenever the Commission shall have reason to believe that any . . .

person, partnership, or corporation has been or is using any

unfair

method

of

competition.

. . in or affecting commerce, and if it shall

appear to the Commission that a proceeding by it in respect

thereof

would be to the interest of the public, it shall issue and serve upon

such person, partnership, or corporation acomplaint stating its charges

**

Law

and

Commission

rulings have, through the years,

defined

forms

of

business

conduct

that

are

"unfair."

The

volume

of

antitrust cases brought by the Commission since the promulgation

of

the FTC Act allows us to infer that the Commission has through

the years determined the meaning of "the interest

of

the public."

*Economist, Antitrust Division, Bureau

of

Economics, U.S. Federal

Trade Commission.

** Federal Trade Commission Act at §5 (15

U.S.c.

§45).

AUTHOR'S

NOTE:

All

opinions expressed in this article are those

of

the

author alone, and do not represent those

of

the Commission, any Com-

missioner, or any other employee

of

the Federal Trade Commission.

© 1997 by Federal Legal Publications. Inc.