Tag: Markets

Have you ever wondered why kangaroo burgers don't feature widely on British menus? The answer is that just as countries’ economies have developed differently, so have their national cuisines

The interrelationship of technology, economic advance, and social and political systems, has many ramifications. The last ten years, in economic terms, have constituted an American decade. But the way in which the American decade comes to an end is probably the most important issue for the world economy today.

The alleged success of the British mobile phone auctions in raising revenue for the government poses many questions about the desirability of licences and auctions in general. John's article examines the underlying logic of auctions and suggests that the current enthusiasm may be misguided

Raising prices may seem an effective way to resolve a fuel shortage. But economists should learn to value solidarity.

Building a monopoly on the back of network externalities is possible, but only by ignoring the complex reality of human relations.

Traditional boundaries around companies and industries are dissolving. But this does not mean that we live in a world without boundaries.

As Microsoft faces being broken up, Bill Gates should take heart from the lesson of history: the biggest beneficiaries of anti-trust break-ups have often been the companies being "punished".

If stock-picking fails to beat the index, why should picking companies? It won’t, unless mergers carefully match the firms involved.

Efficient markets make money for market participants, but not for market makers. That is something the enthusiastic promoters of B2B exchanges have yet to understand.

The mobile phone spectrum auctions are part of a long tradition of governments deriving revenue from allocating scarce resources. In this case, no juster tax has ever been imposed.