Commentary

Perverse Incentives Have Ruined America’s Railroads

Thomas Malthouse explores the skewed financial models that lead American railroads to underinvest in maintenance and profitable expansion, producing delays, derailments, and environmental catastrophes such as those that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023.

A 40-year Bipartisan Tech Policy Success Story

The Domain Name System (DNS), a 1985 technical invention, was transformed into critical global infrastructure by the policies of the United States government beginning in the 1990’s. While some challenges remain, the light-touch regulation promoted by both parties has proven highly successful.

The NCAA Antitrust Lawsuits Will Not Pay Off for College Athletes Without a Permanent Players Association

Jake Goidell argues that the ongoing NCAA lawsuit settlements will not create a lasting solution unless athletes form a players association that is involved in determining industry-wide decisions.

Exxon’s Suit Against Its Own Shareholders Threatens Valuable Bargaining

Colleen Honigsberg and Robert J. Jackson, Jr. write that Exxon Mobil’s decision to sue its own investors over a shareholder proposal threatens to enervate an admittedly imperfect but ultimately valuable mechanism that provides shareholder feedback to corporate managers and helps both parties negotiate better governance outcomes.

Is Democracy Relevant to the Way We Govern Public Companies?

On May 29, Exxon Mobil held its 2024 corporate election. Before the election, the company sued two investors over their proposal to include a commitment in its proxy statement to accelerate the company’s reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Sarah Haan argues that the election and the lawsuit shed more light on current upheavals in corporate democracy than they do on the success of the ESG movement.

Federal Legislation, Not the NCAA Antitrust Settlements, Should Drive a New Model of College Sports

Diana Moss and Jason Gold write that the major private antitrust lawsuit involving how the National Collegiate Athletic Association governs compensation for college student athletes overreaches by remaking the model of college sports in the United States. Instead, the paradigm shift in college athletics should be deliberated and decided through the legislative process.

Four Strengths of the Government’s Lawsuit Against Live Nation-Ticketmaster: Part II

In part II of a two-part series, Michael A. Carrier analyzes the merits and strengths of the government’s recent lawsuit against Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, for monopolizing the live entertainment market. See here for part I.

The Government Has a Compelling Monopolization Lawsuit Against Live Nation-Ticketmaster: Part I

In part I of a two-part series, Michael A. Carrier outlines the evidence behind the government’s recent lawsuit against Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, for monopolizing the live entertainment market. Part II will come out tomorrow.

Live Nation’s Anticompetitive Conduct Is a Problem for Security

Roslyn Layton highlights a recent data breach that exposed the personal information of millions of customers, including those who never directly used Ticketmaster's services, underscoring concerns about the company's data collection practices and market dominance.

An Explainer on How Market Concentration Is Measured

Concerns about market concentration and its effects on competition are at the heart of antitrust policy. Will Macheel explains the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) as a common measure of market concentration, its implications for United States antitrust policy, and potential drawbacks of the measure. He closes the article by highlighting research on the HHI as a regulatory tool for screening mergers.

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