Competition in Government-Financed Services

(Hardback)

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Description

This study synthesizes and summarizes the theoretical arguments and empirical evidence that suggest that competition works remarkably well to reduce costs and improve efficiency and innovation, even in an arena where competition has typically been ignored - government-financed services. The arguments and data presented here, drawn primarily from the American experience, portray the substantial benefits to consumers and taxpayers that can result from efforts to increase competition in commercial services previously operated as government monopolies. "Competition in Government-Financed Services" may help fortify the efforts of competition advocates, both in the US and in the emerging market economies of Eastern Europe and the developing world, to get on with the job of strengthening competition and opening their systems to market forces.

Author Bio

JOHN C. HILKE is Staff Economist in the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Economics, specializing in issues relating the role of competition to improved economic performance. He is the co-author of U.S. International Competitiveness: Evolution or Revolution (Praeger, 1988).