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Political Scientist Tim Buthe Presents Competition Research at World Bank Event

Findings show antitrust or competition law boosts innovation, even in developing countries

Duke political scientist Tim Buthe presented new research Tuesday at a World Bank conference exploring how policies that promote competition may contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

The research by Buthe, an associate professor in Duke's Political Science Department, and co-author Cindy Cheng, a Ph.D. student in the department, found that factors such as antitrust or competition law boosts innovation, even in developing countries.

He and Cheng found that competition policy stimulates innovation by creating incentives for firms to lower costs or raise quality to increase their profits and/or their market share.

The as yet unpublished paper, "The Effect of Competition Law on Innovation: A Cross-National Statistical Analysis," was selected after an international call for empirical research papers.

The goal of the conference , which was the launch event for the Global Expert Network on Competition Policy, Shared Prosperity and Inclusive Growth, was to contribute to the World Bank’s efforts to increase the effectiveness of competition policy around the world.

The Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank hosted the one-day conference in Washington, D.C.

Buthe is also associate professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy and a senior fellow for the Rethinking Regulation Project at the Kenan Institute for Ethics.