Deregulation and Privatization

Available by subscription or individually through bookshops, The Hume Papers on Public Policy , a quarterly journal, replaces the series of short monographs previously published by the David Hume Institute under the general title of The Hume Papers . The journal is a forum for the publication of research on issues of public policy with especial reference to legal and economic aspects. Each issue deals with topical subjects in an accessible and scholarly way, and some are thematically linked. As Europe heads toward a privatized, deregulated economy, this volume takes a critical look at the current US situation. Seven leading economic commentators examine the consequences of partial deregulation of the network industries (electricity, gas and telephone). They assess the political forces behind deregulation at the federal level, and describe what happens when there is competitive entry into regulated monopoly services. The problems of contracting out risk in natural gas markets, and of pricing regulated services provided to competitors by a regulated company, are also assessed. This work is intended for academics, practitioners and policy-makers in economics, company law, public policy and government.