Courses Master Display 2022-2023

Course Description To PDF
Course title Market Regulation and Competition Policy
Course code EBC4239
ECTS credits 5,0
Assessment Whole/Half Grades
Period
Period Start End Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
4 6-2-2023 31-3-2023 X X
Level Intermediate
Coordinator Marco Catola
For more information: m.catola@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Language of instruction English
Goals
The goals are threefold. The first goal is to develop an understanding of when and how markets fail to reach an efficient outcome, and how such market failures can result in the need for regulatory intervention. Participants will learn to identify market failures and to critically assess the policy implications and responses that result. The second goal is to introduce game-theoretic methods that are used in modern industrial organization. The third tool is to apply these methods to the analysis of competition policy.
Description
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT METHOD(S) USED IN THIS COURSE IS WITH RESERVATION. A RE-EMERGENCE OF THE CORONAVIRUS AND NEW COUNTERMEASURES BY THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT MIGHT FORCE COORDINATORS TO CHANGE THE TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT METHODS USED. THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEACHING/ASSESSMENT METHOD(S) WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE COURSE SYLLABUS.

The course starts by reviewing key concepts in the classical theory of regulation -such as monopoly pricing, externalities, the provision of incentives to innovate- and the common regulatory responses. Game theoretic models of firm behaviour, such as price competition by firms in oligopolistic market, are discussed next. Following the development of the analytical toolkit, the course turns to the analysis of competition policy: competition policy aims at maintaining or improving competitive interactions in market economies. The course assesses the pro-competitive effects of existing antitrust legislations, and introduces empirical methods to determine relevant markets, to analyse market power, and to detect collusive and abusive conduct. These ideas are applied to a number of real cases, such the telecommunications industry and the music/software industry.
Literature
* Viscusi, W.K., Harrington, J.E., and Vernon, J.M.(2005), , Economics of Regulation and Antitrust, MIT Press.
* Walter Nicholson and Christopher M. Snyder, Microeconomic Theory (2002): Basic Principles and Extensions, South-Western.
* Research papers
Prerequisites
Game Theory, Probability, Advanced Microeconomics.
Keywords
Teaching methods (indicative; course manual is definitive) PBL / Presentation / Assignment / Papers / Groupwork / Research / Skills
Assessment methods (indicative; course manual is definitive) Participation / Assignment / Presentation / Take home exam
Evaluation in previous academic year For the complete evaluation of this course please click "here"
This course belongs to the following programmes / specialisations
Master Economics - Market Regulation and Design Compulsory Course(s)
Master Economics - No specialisation Elective Course(s)
SBE Exchange Master Master Exchange Courses