Annotated Bibliography
Board, T. E. (2015, October 31). Opinion | How Mergers Damage the Economy. Retrieved October 8, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/01/opinion/sunday/how-mergers-damage-the-economy.html
This article from the New York Times addresses the lack of resulting benefits from mergers. It is stated that mergers lead to more mergers. Many examples of past mergers and potential mergers are provided to support the notion that mergers lead to higher prices. The newspaper article suggests the government be vigilant in regulating mergers so that firms do not abuse market power.
The editorial board of the New York Times published this article in late 2015, making it concurrent with the rising issue of mergers. The article is
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The newspaper article ties all the sources together and connects the main idea, that mergers undoubtedly have more cons than pros in terms of consumer welfare and competition. Readers will gain a thorough understanding of the effects of mergers.
Brouwer, M. T. (2008). Horizontal mergers and efficiencies; theory and antitrust practice. European Journal of Law and Economics, 26(1), 11-26. doi:http://dx.doi.org.jproxy.lib.ecu.edu/10.1007/s10657-008-9050-1
Brouwer’s journal reflects on the effects of horizontal mergers. She compares the number of approved mergers between the US and the EU. While more mergers are approved in the US, they should be challenged by antitrust laws. Brouwer also stresses the point that a majority of firms only wish to merge in an oligopoly market however, this creates market power and is adverse for the consumer.
Brouwer is a professor at the University of Amsterdam, she teaches industrial organization. Her research focus is on the economics and governance of innovation. She wrote a couple books and contributed to a number of research projects. This scholarly journal has several organized arguments and supports the arguments through evidence. It was published in 2008, making the content relative to the recent economic
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R., & Blonigen, B. A. (2016, November 15). Mergers May Be Profitable, but Are They Good for the Economy? Retrieved October 7, 2017, from https://hbr.org/2016/11/mergers-may-be-profitable-but-are-they-good-for-the-economy
Pierce and Blongien address the recent record spike or approved mergers and examine the quality output of these mergers. Firms see mergers as an opportunity however, profitability from these mergers do not come from economies of scale. They come from concentrated market power rather than higher productivity. Although companies may experience profit, this does not equal economic progress.
This article is published in the Harvard Business Review. Blonigen is a professor specializing in microeconomics and political economy in trade policies. Dr. Pierce is an economist, who received his degree from Georgetown University. The article flows and provides evidence to show that mergers are approved to benefit solely firms.
This source aids the research process by explaining the effects of mergers on market power across businesses and industries. It supports the main research argument that mergers are not profitable economic wise. This article is a valuable asset in addition to the rest of the