2.4: Research, Reports, Advocacy, and International Cooperation

Enhance consumer welfare through research, reports, advocacy, and international cooperation and exchange

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In addition to its enforcement authority, the FTC has unique jurisdiction to gather, analyze, and make public certain information concerning the nature of competition as it affects U.S. commerce. The FTC uses that authority to hold public hearings, convene conferences and workshops, conduct economic studies on competition issues of significant public importance, and issue reports of its findings. This authority advances the competition mission in numerous ways. The agency uses the information internally to refine the theoretical framework for analyzing competition issues and the empirical understanding of industry practices, which contributes substantially to an effective response to changing marketplace conditions. The information gained through this authority, combined with the agency’s professional expertise on competition issues, also contributes to a better understanding of business practices and their competitive and economic implications by various entities, including the business sector, the legal community, other enforcement authorities, the judiciary, foreign competition agencies, and governmental decision makers and policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels. In particular, the agency testifies before Congress on competition issues. The FTC uses its expertise to encourage governmental actors at all levels to evaluate both the costs and the benefits of their policies for consumers, and to ensure such policies promote consumer welfare. This advocacy includes formal and informal dialogue with state and federal policymakers and amicus curiae briefs filed with state and federal courts. Dialogue with competition authorities of other countries and international organizations, and, in some cases, technical assistance to other competition authorities, promotes procedural consistency and the adoption of competition policies that protect and enhance consumer welfare, which ultimately will accrue to the benefit of American consumers as well as those in other countries. Strategies: • Conduct public hearings, conferences, and workshops that bring together interested parties to enhance understanding of various practices and developments in the marketplace. • Conduct studies as requested by Congress and other studies as appropriate. • Conduct economic studies of the effects of business actions on competition and consumer welfare in accordance with agency data quality standards, as applicable, to ensure the quality of information that may be disseminated publicly. • Target advocacy activities to encourage state, federal, and foreign government policymakers to evaluate both the costs and the benefits of their policies for consumers, emphasizing the impact on consumers of policies that unnecessarily restrict competition. • File amicus curiae briefs with state and federal courts deciding important competition policy issues urging them to adopt legal rules that benefit consumers by promoting competition. • Participate in dialogue with competition authorities of other countries and international organizations on trans-national competition issues that affect American consumers and businesses and to promote sound consumer-welfare-based competition policy. • Participate in technical assistance missions to countries with new competition regimes. Annual and Five-Year Performance Measures: - Track annual volume of traffic on ftc.gov relating to competition research, reports, advocacy, and international cooperation and exchange - Convene, or participate substantively in, at least 20workshops, conferences, seminars, and hearings involving significant competition-related issues over 5-year period - Issue at least 40 studies, reports, or working or issues papers on significant competition-related issues over 5-year period - Make at least 30 advocacy filings with other federal and state government agencies urging them to assess the competitive ramifications and costs and benefits to consumers of their policies over 5-year period - Issue at least 12 advisory opinions over five year period - File at least 12 amicus briefs with courts over 5-yearperiod - Track number of cases on which the FTC cooperated with a foreign competition authority, number of consultations with or comments to foreign competition authorities, number of written submissions on international fora, number of international events attended, and number of leadership positions held by FTC staff in international competition organizations

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