Sherman Act-General

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Chapter 1

SHERMAN ACT—GENERAL

A. Instruction 1: Purpose

The purpose of the Sherman Act is to preserve free and unfettered

competition in the marketplace. The Sherman Act rests on the central

premise that competition produces the best allocation of our economic

resources, the lowest prices, the highest quality, and the greatest material

progress.

NOTES

This instruction is based on the Supreme Court’s statement in Northern

Pacific Railway v. United States, 356 U.S. 1, 4 (1958); see also 1 ABA SECTION

OF ANTITRUST LAW, ANTITRU ST LAW DEVELOPMENTS 1-2 (7th ed. 2012).

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