From the NYT:
President Obama’s top antitrust official and some senior Democratic lawmakers are preparing to rein in a host of major industries, including airline and railroad giants, moving so aggressively that they are finding some resistance from officials within the administration.
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The more aggressive antitrust policy was described in interviews with officials at the White House, the Justice Department, other agencies and Congress. It is a major policy reversal from the Bush administration, which did not prosecute cases in which some dominant companies engaged in potentially anticompetitive behavior, often because those officials maintained such behavior was not harmful to consumers.
Democrats have spent years trying to gain the support of businesses, and the policy changes under way may have long-term political implications for their party. Some companies would like to see more aggressive antitrust enforcement against their rivals, while others could be hurt by it.
In some cases, though, the new approach is being opposed by administration officials. Some fear that the crackdown is coming at a bad time, as corporate America reels from the recession. Other officials embrace the Bush administration’s view that larger companies and industry alliances can provide consumer benefits by making their businesses more efficient.
A variety of subjects we cover in class, both 2301 and 2302, are covered in this story.
One regards the proper functions of government, should it have the power to regulate "anticompetitive" behavior by larger companies? Since the late 19th Century it has, so also file this under our discussion of the growth of the national government. The major parties tend to disagree on this issue (Democrats tend to favor aggressive anti-trust policy more than Republicans), so it also fits within our discussion of parties, and since the story also highlights conflicts within the White House, it fits with our discussion of executive power, especially the complicated nature of executive power that has accompanied the growth of the functions of the national government.
