Consumer welfare is the cornerstone of antitrust policy from "summary" of The Antitrust Paradox by Robert Bork
Consumer welfare is the primary concern of antitrust policy. The ultimate goal of antitrust law should be to promote consumer welfare by ensuring the most efficient allocation of resources. This means that competition should be protected and preserved in order to benefit consumers through lower prices, higher quality products, and greater innovation. Antitrust policy should not be used to protect inefficient competitors or to promote other social or political goals. The focus should be on maximizing consumer welfare by allowing market forces to operate freely. This approach recognizes that competition is a dynamic process that benefits consumers by driving firms to constantly improve their products and services in order to attract and retain customers. Antitrust law should only intervene when there is evidence of harm to consumer welfare, such as through the suppression of competition or the creation of monopolies that harm consumers. In these cases, antitrust enforcement should be used to restore competition and protect consumers from anticompetitive behavior.- The law can better achieve its goal of promoting economic efficiency and benefiting consumers. This approach provides a clear and consistent framework for analyzing antitrust cases and ensures that decisions are made based on their impact on consumer welfare. Ultimately, by prioritizing consumer welfare, antitrust policy can effectively promote competition and benefit consumers in the marketplace.
