On the heels of a historic post-pandemic merger wave, and a recent joint Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice merger guideline rewriting initiative, we’re excited to release a new report: “Why Merger Policy Matters.”
The latest part of an Economic Liberties campaign The American Prospect described as “the bottom-up battle against corporate power,” our report shows why the movement underway to rethink merger policy is key to leveling the playing field for businesses, consumers, and working people. It lays out the disastrous effects mergers have on wages, prices, innovation, and entrepreneurship. It provides examples of harmful high-profile mergers. And it explains why the FTC and DOJ’s Antitrust Division decision to reexamine these little known, yet highly important guidelines could fundamentally alter whether and how corporations build and exercise power.
The report also features our full 50-page comment to the FTC and DOJ, which meticulously details our recommendations for undoing a generation of bad merger policy and vigorously combatting corporate monopolies. |
Mergers & Acquisitions On the Rise. Our campaign comes as merger madness continues in corporate America. M&A activity reached an all-time high of $5.8 trillion in 2021. Just in the past few weeks, we’ve seen consolidation in the airline industry, the adjudication of older merger cases in book publishing and health care, and a continuation of Amazon’s frightening, yet unsurprising strategy to gobble up more data via acquisition of iRobot (makers of Roomba) and One Medical.
A Watershed Moment in Merger Policy — And Public Opinion. Since receiving nearly 6,000 public comments and hosting public listening forums with concerned citizens and business owners across a wide range of industries — which the Access to Markets initiative recapped here — the FTC and DOJ have been hard at work revamping the merger guidelines to address the merger frenzy and foster fair competition. They’re expected to make an announcement in coming months, and there will be more opportunities for you to make your voice heard.
Our new report will provide you with everything you need to get caught up on the history, policy, and implications of this important rulemaking. Make sure you take a look, here. |
