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Todd A. Gormley, Manish Jha and Meng Wang examine the impact of state-level political dynamics on the support institutional investors provide to socially responsible investing (SRI) proposals. The findings reveal that investors are less likely to support SRI initiatives at firms headquartered in Republican-led states, suggesting that regional political pressures are shaping corporate social responsibility trends.

Competition policy in the European Union is moving toward a new phase. Max von Thun parses ideas from two recent documents outlining the future of competition in the EU—a report from former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and a “Mission Letter” from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—to understand what questions competition chief Margrethe Vestager’s appointed replacement, Teresa Ribera, must address as she lays out her own vision for the future of competition policy in the EU.

Conflicts of interest are a serious problem in scholarship. Transparency and discounting, while necessary, are insufficient to protect the marketplace of ideas. Why?  Founder effects and dilution of expertise, explain Maurice E. Stucke and R. Alexander Bentley. To protect the integrity of academia, we must also encourage the injection and consideration of new and contradictory unconflicted ideas.

Kevin Frazier writes that the Neo-Brandeisian movement’s focus on bigness as a harm to society in itself neglects the true focus of antitrust policy—protection of individual liberty, as envisioned by Thomas Jefferson. He argues that a Neo-Jeffersonian approach would clarify antitrust’s goals and produce more appropriate government intervention in markets.

In the second of two articles (read the first part here), Ioannis Lianos discusses how the incipient ideas and suggestions Mario Draghi presents in his report on the future of competition in the European Union could be developed into real-world policy.

In the first of two articles, Ioannis Lianos analyzes the implications of Mario Draghi’s report on the future of European Union competitiveness. He explores its suggestions for protecting competition, moving to an ex-ante regulatory regime, and moving beyond traditional consumer welfare goals, dispelling exegesis from those who cite the report in support of and against current competition policies.

The following is an excerpt from Karthik Ramanna’s new book, “The Age of Outrage: How to Lead in a Polarized World,” now out at Harvard Business Review Press. Ramanna will discuss his new book tomorrow, October 31, 2024, at an event cohosted by the Stigler Center and the Rustandy Center. You can register here to attend the event in-person or on the livestream.

The Stigler Center is seeking pre-tenure candidates for the second class of its Affiliate Fellows program. Applications are due January 19.

Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have proposed policies that encourage the redistribution of resources rather than maximizing efficiencies to grow the economic pie. Jeffrey Miron and Constantin Wells argue these preferences will harm the American economy and voters in the long term.

From collaborator to commentator, economist Leopoldo Fergusson offers a unique perspective on his work with recent Nobel laureates in economics. Fergusson reflects on their groundbreaking research on institutions, political incentives, and social norms, while providing personal insights into the brilliance and generosity of James Robinson and Daron Acemoglu.