Is There a Concentration Problem in America?
Gleacher Center, 450 N Cityfront Plaza Drive
- March 27, 2017
About the Conference
The Stigler Center will host a three-day conference in ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ in March 2017, bringing together academics, regulators, and public intellectuals to discuss one of the most interesting questions of our time: is there a concentration problem in the United States? The conference will cast a wide net, in an attempt to provide multidisciplinary perspective on the issues. It will particularly emphasize the following seven themes:
- What do the data tell us? Trends in concentration and competition.
- What does history tell us? The development of antitrust in America.
- Consolidation in the financial industry and its influence on antitrust.
- Winner-take-all digital platforms and big data.
- Information in the age of concentration.
- Concentration, market power, and inequality.
- Is there a role for political antitrust?
The conference will be live-streamed. See schedule below for individual video links for each panel.
Schedule
Times are listed in Central Daylight Time.
Monday, March 27, 2017
| 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. |
What Do the Data Tell Us? Trends in Concentration and Competition: Are the rallying cries coming from the White House and mainstream media really borne out by the facts? Moderator: Patrick Foulis, The Economist
|
| 2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Break |
| 2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. |
What Does History Tell Us? The Development of Antitrust in America: A discussion on antitrust enforcement over the past 125 years, focusing on market power, political power, and efficiency as criteria for antitrust enforcement. Moderator: Gary Reback, Carr & Ferrell LLP
|
| 4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Break |
| 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
Concentration, Market Power, and Inequality: An examination of the interactions between concentration, market power, and inequality. Moderator: Matt Stoller, New America
|
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
| 8 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. |
Winner-Take-All Digital Platforms: What is the tradeoff between the promise of innovation and opportunities, and the threat of huge market and political power? Moderator: Teddy Downey, The Capitol Forum
|
| 10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | Break |
| 10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. |
Big Data and Competition: Will the collection consumer data by online platforms expand choice and power of consumers, or will it be used to diminish consumer surplus? Moderator: David Dayen, The Intercept
|
| 11:45 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Break |
| 12 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. |
Lunch Keynotes Fiona Scott Morton, Yale University Judge Richard A. Posner in Conversation with Professor Luigi Zingales |
| 1:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Break |
| 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. |
Consolidation in the Financial Industry: Does increased horizontal shareholding of a few asset companies explain diminishing competition in many industries? Moderator: Jesse Eisinger, ProPublica
|
| 3 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. | Break |
| 3:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. |
Information in the Age of Concentration: Can media hold powerful actors to account in the age of huge digital platforms and bigness? Moderator: Guy Rolnik, University of ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ Booth School of Business
|
| 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Dinner |
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
| 8 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. |
Is There a Role for Political Antitrust?: Antitrust was born as a tool to restrain the political power of big business and special interest groups. Should we bring this role back into policy decisions? Moderator: Guy Rolnik, University of ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ Booth School of Business
|
| 10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | Break |
| 10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. |
Video Address Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition |
Logistics
The conference venue is the Gleacher Center, located in downtown ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ at . There are a number of hotels in the area with special University of ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ rates, details below. Ask for the University of ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ rate when making your booking.
InterContinental ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ
505 N. Michigan Avenue ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ, IL 60611
800.628.2112
Club Quarters Wacker at Michigan
75 E. Wacker Drive, ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ, IL 60601
312.357.6400; Reservations: 203.905.2100
LondonHouse ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ
85 East Wacker Drive, ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ, IL 60601
312.357.1200
Omni ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ
676 N. Michigan Avenue ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ, IL 60611
312.944.6664
Conference Organizers
- Luigi Zingales, Robert C. McCormack Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance, University of ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ Booth School of Business
- Guy Rolnik, Clinical Associate Professor of Strategic Management, University of ºÚÁÏ´«ËÍÃÅ Booth School of Business