Fighting Hard Core Cartels

打击顽固卡特尔

• 批准号: 0516943
• 负责人: Joseph Harrington
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Johns Hopkins University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-08-15 至 2009-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0516943&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Fighting; Hard; Core; Cartels

This research project has as its objective to more fully understand when cartels form, how cartels price, and, ultimately, how to deter and detect cartels. Its defining perspective is to take into account a key goal of any illegal cartel: to raise prices but not suspicions: a cartel wants to avoid the appearance that there is a cartel. The PI will develop a new dynamic model of cartel pricing which encompasses strategic behavior to avoid detection. This produces a rich description of cartel pricing for both the transitional phase -- as firms move from competing to colluding -- and the stationary phase. Collusive markers are developed with respect to such measures as the price variance, the relationship between price and observed cost shocks -- especially along the transition path -- and, by endogenizing cartel meetings, the frequency and periodicity of price changes. The PI plans to use this model to develop a "test bed" for evaluating statistical tests to distinguish collusive pricing patterns from competition.A second part of the project focuses on leniency programs. These are used in the U.S. and the E.U. to encourage individual cartel members to cooperate with government investigations of cartel practices. The PI will develop a model of a population of industries and use that model to describe which industries form successful cartels. This model will be the basis for an empirical investigation of the U.S. leniency program. The PI will also use the model to evaluate possible changes to the current US and European programs.This research will help to build a foundation for better antitrust policy towards price-fixing cartels.

这一研究项目的目标是更充分地了解卡特尔何时形成，卡特尔如何定价，以及最终如何阻止和发现卡特尔。 它的定义视角是考虑到任何非法卡特尔的一个关键目标：提高价格，但不是怀疑：卡特尔希望避免出现卡特尔。 PI将开发一个新的卡特尔定价的动态模型，其中包括战略行为，以避免检测。 这产生了一个丰富的描述卡特尔定价的过渡阶段-企业从竞争到串通-和静止阶段。 在价格差异、价格与观察到的成本冲击之间的关系-特别是沿着过渡道路-以及通过使卡特尔会议内生化，价格变化的频率和周期性等措施方面，形成了串通标记。 PI计划利用这一模型开发一个“测试平台”，用于评估统计测试，以区分串通定价模式和竞争。 这些在美国和欧盟使用。鼓励个别卡特尔成员配合政府对卡特尔做法的调查。 PI将开发一个行业群体模型，并使用该模型来描述哪些行业形成成功的卡特尔。 这一模式将成为对美国宽大处理方案进行实证调查的基础。 PI还将使用该模型来评估美国和欧洲现行计划的可能变化。这项研究将有助于为针对价格垄断卡特尔的更好的反垄断政策奠定基础。