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Bidding Markets

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  • Paul Klemperer

    (Nuffield College, Oxford, UK)

Abstract

The existence of a ‘bidding market’ is commonly cited as a reason to tolerate the creation or maintenance of highly concentrated markets. We discuss three erroneous arguments to that effect: the ‘consultants’ fallacy’ that ‘market power is impossible’, the ‘academics’ fallacy’ that (often) ‘market power does not matter’, and the ‘regulators’ fallacy’ that ‘intervention against pernicious market power is unnecessary’, in markets characterized by auctions or bidding processes. Furthermore we argue that the term ‘bidding market’ as it is widely used in antitrust is unhelpful or misleading. Auctions and bidding processes do have some special features—including their price formation processes, common-values behaviour, and bid-taker power—but the significance of these features has been overemphasized, and they often imply a need for stricter rather than more lenient competition policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Klemperer, 2005. "Bidding Markets," Law and Economics 0508007, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwple:0508007
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    4. Nepal, Rabindra & Jamasb, Tooraj, 2012. "Interconnections and market integration in the Irish Single Electricity Market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 425-434.
    5. Zulehner, Christine & Gugler, Klaus Peter & Weichselbaumer, Michael, 2015. "Analysis of mergers in first-price auctions," CEPR Discussion Papers 10799, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Rabindra Nepal & Tooraj Jamasb, 2011. "Market Integration, Efficiency, and Interconnectors: The Irish Single Electricity Market," Working Papers EPRG 1121, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

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