Research

Henry Manne’s Struggle To Institutionalize Law & Economics

In new research, David Gindis and Steven G. Medema trace Henry Manne’s entrepreneurial role in the development of the field of law and economics, beginning with a failed venture to bring together economists and legal scholars, but one that established the foundations for later success.

Corporate Defendants Significantly Outspend Plaintiffs in Expert Witness Arms Races

In new research, Adam Callister, Andrew Granato, and Belisa Pang argue that differing incentives faced by plaintiffs and defendants in “battles of the experts” litigation (like securities suits) leads to structurally higher spending by defendants on expert witnesses. These incentives also apply to any class action suit and many individual suits. They argue that courts should take this dynamic into account and correspondingly be more aggressive in using authority to employ court-appointed experts.

ESG Raters That Also Provide Index Funds May Skew Ratings

Some have argued that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings are generally more reliable than credit ratings due to how the raters are paid for their work. In new research, Suhas Sridharan and coauthors find that significant conflicts of interest can arise for ESG raters when they also provide ESG index funds to investors.

How Has Industry Consolidation Changed the Way Americans Shop?

In new research, Dominic Smith and Sergio Ocampo show that retail concentration has increased in most markets across the United States, with the expansion of large retail chains driving the trend toward a more concentrated retail landscape. Their findings are based on new product-level census data for all U.S. retailers. They explain the implications of this increased concentration for the everyday shopping experience of clothing, electronics, groceries, and much more.

Global Financial Liberalization Has Failed To Live Up to Its Promise

In new research, Bruno Pellegrino and Damien Capelle find that while global capital markets have grown dramatically over the past five decades and reached new jurisdictions, the uneven pace of financial liberalization has failed to reallocate capital to lower-income countries, reduced world GDP by 5.9%, and increased inequality between rich and poor countries.

Is Competition Law Making Us Sick?

In new research, Benjamin Wood, Sven Gallasch, Nicholas Shaxson, Katherine Sievert, and Gary Sacks write that competition underenforcement and a narrow regulatory focus on prices and output has allowed industries that produce harmful consumer products, such as tobacco or ultra-processed foods, to increase demand and, consequentially, harm to society. They argue that competition law must evolve to consider health impacts.

What MBA Students Reveal About Inequality in America

In new research, Marcel Preuss, Germán Reyes, Jason Somerville, and Joy Wu find that MBA students’ attitudes toward inequality and fairness vary from those of the average American. As these students will one day form the business and political elite of the United States, the findings have implications for the future of inequality in the U.S.

How Much Harm Can Wage-Fixing Cartels Do?

In new research, Axel Gottfries and Gregor Jarosch develop a model to understand how wage-fixing cartels operate and show how to gauge the harm they cause to workers.

How Toxic Content Drives User Engagement on Social Media

Most users on social media have encountered toxic content: rude, disrespectful, or hostile posts or comments. A study using a browser extension estimates the effect of toxic content on user engagement and welfare.

The DMA Whistleblower Tool Needs a Revamp

In new research, Sarah Hinck and Jasper van den Boom argue that the European Union’s Digital Markets Act’s (DMA) whistleblower tool does not yet bring enough to the table to effectively incentivize potential informants to report on Big Tech violations.

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