Georgetown on the Hill, Antitrust Policy: Economics, Populism, or Politics?

For the last half-century, the United States enjoyed a large degree of consensus about antitrust policy – its goals, analytical tools and enforcement methods. This consensus focused on using the principles of economics to identify conduct that harms the competitive process and consumers. Biden antitrust enforcers led by FTC Chair Lina Khan attempted a progressive overhaul of U.S. antitrust policy, with mixed results. Early statements and actions by the Trump administration’s antitrust leaders have sharply criticized some elements of their predecessors’ agenda, while also, to the surprise of some observers, adopting others, such as the 2023 Merger Guidelines.

What are the challenges, and opportunities, facing the Trump antitrust agencies? Are they maintaining the Biden administration’s approach to high-profile enforcement actions against large technology firms? How are they approaching merger enforcement? Will the economics-based antitrust approach that has long driven U.S. antitrust policy be supplanted by a more caselaw-focused, populist, or political approach?

This program, part of our ongoing Georgetown on the Hill series on the evolving antitrust policy environment, brings together an expert panel to explore these questions.

Event begins at 12:00, doors open at 11:30 a.m.

Info: Doors open to the public at 11:30 a.m.

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Host or Publisher Dikran Izmirlian Business & Global Affairs Program