The Goals of the Course
The goals of the course are to train students to think clearly and to explain their thoughts before others. The teaching usually will be Socratic, with only episodic lecturing by the instructor. A secondary purpose of the class is to train students in research and writing skills through the composition of a term paper - which is optional. Completing a term paper meets the College's Second Writing Requirement. It should go without saying, at Mr. Jefferson’s University, that all work (tests and papers) are to be done without cheating or copying the work of others.
The peg on which the goals of this course hang is the study of the federal antitrust laws. We shall examine the laws Congress passed, the interpretation given them by the courts, and the efforts of two federal agencies to enforce these laws. Through the study of antitrust, diligent students will improve their reasoning and speaking skills and, for some, their writing skills as well. Students who complete the course successfully will gain an understanding of the institution of antitrust. This will intrigue the intellectually curious, enhance social awareness, and augment the lifetime earnings stream of future lawyers, consultants and business managers.
The Text and Course Outline
There is one textbook for the course: Breit and Elzinga, The Antitrust Casebook: Milestones in Economic Regulation (Third Edition). This book's table of contents will serve as the approximate course outline. In addition, there may be some photocopied material distributed during the semester.
Preparation
Socratically taught courses require consistent preparation - on the part of the students as well as the instructor. Enrollment in Econ 420 is ill-advised for any student not up to this. An unprepared student is a negative externality to the class.
The Grading
There will be a comprehensive final examination worth 100 points. A recommended option, particularly for students planning on graduate school or wanting a letter of recommendation from me, is to write a term paper on a selected topic in antitrust. For students writing term papers, the final exam will count up to 50 of the 100 points; their term paper will count up to 50 points.
The term paper is due by 5 PM on Wednesday, April 18th. (See other side for possible paper topics).
CLAS Drop Date: January 31; CLAS Withdraw Date: March 21.
A 1997 sample Final Exam can be found here.
The final exam is scheduled for Tuesday, May 8th, 0900-1200 and Thursday, May 10th, 1400-1700.
Links: See Mr. Elzinga’s home page at http://www.people.virginia.edu/~kge8z for links to the FTC, DOJ, Supreme Court Cases and other related antitrust issues.