Methodology Matters: The 2017 FTC Remedies Study

The 2017 FTC’s “Merger Remedies 2006-2012″ study is the most comprehensive evaluation of remedies conducted to date. It has been widely cited for the proposition that the agency’s remedies were “generally” or even “highly” successful in maintaining or restoring competition. A closer look, however, reveals a number of substantial weaknesses of its methodology that undercut its stated conclusions and characterization of its findings by advocates of remedies.  These weaknesses