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Alfred E. Kahn: Regulator and Language Maven

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  • Robert Frank

Abstract

Alfred Kahn’s enduring legacy will be his influence on how economists think about the regulation of natural monopoly. But although the substance of his ideas mattered far more than their style, his influence would not have been nearly as great had it not been for his almost slavish devotion to clear language. His career supports the proposition that most of the heavy lifting in economics relies on just a few basic principles that can be stated in plain English. In this essay, I describe how Kahn’s mastery of those principles made him such an effective regulator, but I also note that events since the 1978 deregulation of the airline industry suggest that he and others at the Civil Aeronautics Board failed to appreciate the extent of unexploited economies of scale in the industry. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Frank, 2013. "Alfred E. Kahn: Regulator and Language Maven," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 42(2), pages 191-201, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:revind:v:42:y:2013:i:2:p:191-201
    DOI: 10.1007/s11151-012-9373-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Severin Borenstein, 1989. "Hubs and High Fares: Dominance and Market Power in the U.S. Airline Industry," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 20(3), pages 344-365, Autumn.
    2. Elizabeth E. Bailey, 2002. "Aviation Policy: Past and Present," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 69(1), pages 12-20, July.
    3. Baumol, William J & Bailey, Elizabeth E & Willig, Robert D, 1977. "Weak Invisible Hand Theorems on the Sustainability of Multiproduct Natural Monopoly," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(3), pages 350-365, June.
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