How a DOJ Economist Approaches Antitrust in America

This podcast episode explores the expanding definitions of antitrust and anti-competitive practices, highlighting their impact on inflationary bottlenecks and corporate power. The conversation delves into the role of antitrust enforcement in addressing these issues and its relationship with competition in various sectors of the economy. The episode also discusses the importance of data analysis and interviews in uncovering the effects of anti-competitive behavior and the challenges in predicting the outcomes of mergers. It touches on specific cases in industries like publishing and video games to illustrate the consequences of concentration and labor market power. Additionally, the episode explores the role of anti-competitive behavior in hindering innovation and discusses the challenges of measuring innovation in the modern economy. The concept of systemically important sources of inflation and the tension between active industrial policy and competition are also explored, emphasizing the need to enforce antitrust to maintain competition and balance market dynamics.