本研究計畫嘗試利用 109 個國家於 1996-2011年間的橫斷面資料，估計一 個聯立方程式模型，以探討：(1) 反托拉斯對民主政治的影響效果；(2) 該影響 透過何種管道進行。本計畫初步選定「效率」與「公平」兩個主題作為管道， 研究反托拉斯「能否」與「如何」透過該二管道，影響民主政治的發展？依據 現有文獻初步分析，預期結果似應為：反托拉斯對民主政治的影響效果應該是 透過公平（改善所得分配），而非透過效率（促進所得成長）管道進行。但是， 即使透過保護消費者與中小企業，以改善所得分配，是反托拉斯鞏固民主政治 的主要管道。但是，本研究預期其效果應該極其微小。因此，改善所得分配仍 應仰賴租稅、教育與社會安全給付的方式為宜。 This project attempts to estimate a simultaneous equations model to explore the linkages between antitrust and democracy in a cross-country dataset for 109 countries over the period 1996-2011. The model will be specified to decompose the total effect of antitrust on democracy into two channels: one through efficiency and the other thorough equity. The purpose is to identify whether and how antitrust affects democracy through these two variables. The expected result would be that it is equity (improving income distribution) rather than efficiency (promoting income growth) that serves as the main channel for antitrust to influence democracy. However, even if improving income distribution by protecting consumers and small businesses is the channel for antitrust to safeguard political democracy, the effect is expected to be very small. Therefore, improving income distribution to promote democracy should fall into the realm of taxation and transfer payments rather than antitrust.
