Centre for Competition Policy
High quality independent research into competition policy and regulation
AUTHOR: Andreas Stephan
ABSTRACT: This paper reports the results of four surveys gauging public attitudes to price fixing and cartel enforcement in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and the United States. A previous study was carried out in the UK in 2007. The results show a robust understanding that price fixing is harmful and popular support for enforcement and punishment. In particular, there is a strong expectation that businesses should calculate their prices independently of each other. Overall there is surprising uniformity in opinion between the four jurisdictions despite significant differences in culture and levels of enforcement. Support for the imprisonment of cartelists has significantly increased in the UK since 2007, but the results suggest price-fixing is still viewed as being less serious than traditional crime and some other forms of corporate wrongdoing.
KEYWORDS: Cartels; Price Fixing; Public Attitudes; Public Survey
CITATION: Stephan, A. (2015) "Survey of Public Attitudes to Price Fixing in the UK, Germany, Italy and the USA" [Request paper from author]
PUBLICATIONS
NEW PUBLICATIONS
CCP Book
Behavioural Economics in Competition and Consumer Policy
SUBCRIPTION MEMBERS
The following organisations are subscribed to the CCP Membership Scheme and their support is gratefully acknowledged
[Membership of this scheme or use of members’ logos does not imply agreement by those organisations with any of the views or ideas published by CCP or any of its staff and students]
