MGMT 311 Exam 3 - FLASHCARDS - Chapter 27
What is a market in which there is a single seller or a firm that, although not the sole seller in the market, can nonetheless substantially ignore rival firms in setting a selling price for its product or can in some way limit rivals from competing in the market?
Monopoly
What is the power to control prices or exclude competition in a relevant market?
Monopoly power
What is the ability to raise prices above those that would be charged in a competitive market?
Market power
What is any agreement between firms that has the effect of reducing competition in the marketplace?
Restraint of trade
Is amazon a monopoly?
Yes
Are all monopolies illegal?
No
What is the purpose of antitrust laws?
Regulate business conduct to promote forms of competition that benefit society
Why did the need for antitrust laws arise after the Civil War?
declining competition from actions of business persons legally tying themselves together in business trusts
What was an example of a company that had a trust after the Civil War?
John D Rockefeller and the Standard Oil trust. Rockefeller controlled almost all oil refining and distribution in the US and much of the world’s trade by 1882.
What was the first provision of the Sherman Antitrust Act?
“Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is hereby declared to be illegal [and is a felony punishable by fine and/or imprisonment].”
What was the second provision of the Sherman Antitrust Act?
“Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a felony [and is similarly punishable].”
What is the purpose of section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act?
Aimed at stopping companies who wield unchecked market power
What is the purpose of section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act?
Aimed at stopping companies wielding unchecked monopoly power
What is the main difference between section 1 and section 2 of the Sherman Act?
S1 = A group of people vs S2 = 1 person or more
True or false: section 1 requires 2 or more people since you can’t conspire or contrat with yourself. The illegal activity is joining together to exclude others
TRUE
True or false: with section 1, cases are often concerned with finding an agreement that leads to a restraint of trade?
TRUE
True or false: section 2 can apply with either 1 or 2 or more people because it refers to every person. So unilateral can violate section 2
TRUE
True or false: with section 2, cases deal with the structure of a monopoly that exists in the marketplace, or the so called issue of monopoly power in the marketplace
TRUE
What are per se violations?
Violation of the law
What is an example of a per se violation?
Price fixing - There are two grocery stores in a small town and there is a rumor that a third grocery store will be opening. The two grocery stores come together to keep prices so low that the new store wouldn’t be able to compete
What are rule of reason violations?
Establishes that a business practice is illegal if it unreasonably restricts trade. Under the rule of reason, courts examine both the positive and negative effects of an agreement before determining whether it violates antitrust laws
Under what section of the Sherman Act do per se and rule of reason violations fall?
Section 1
What factors does the court use in rule of reason?
a. the purpose of the agreement
b. the parties power to implement the agreement to achieve the purpose
c. the effect or potential effect of the agreement on competition
d. whether the parties could have relied on a less restrictive means to achieve their purpose.
What are horizontal restraints?
any agreement that in some way restrains competition between rival firms competing in the same market. This is between companies at the same level of operation and in direct competition with each other, such as Target and Walmart
What are examples of horizontal restraints?
Price fixing
Group boycotts
Horizontal market divisions
Trade associations
Joint ventures
What are examples of per se violations?
Price fixing
Group boycotts
Horizontal market divisions
What are examples of rule of reason violations?
Trade associations
Joint ventures
Territorial or Customer Restrictions
Resale Price Maintenance Agreements
What is the act of restricting output by eliminating price competition in which companies seek to sell more by charging less than their rivals?
Price fixing