Motivated by the observation that many countries with an active industrial policy also have a lax competition policy, this paper argues that restricting firm numbers may be a means of rendering industrial policy more effective. A simple model is set up in which a subsidy is desirable to correct...

We consider private and public incentives for domestic firms to merge in the face of foreign entry. We consider the gains to two merging firms and to national welfare in a linear Cournot model. With heterogeneous firms and possible synergies, greater foreign entry tends to enhance both private...