REGULATING INFRASTRUCTURE: MONOPOLY, CONTRACTS, AND DISCRETION

In the 1980s and 1990s, many nations turned to private enterprise to provide infrastructure and utilities, including electricity, communications, railways, highways, and water, on the grounds that market-based incentives would better control costs and improve the quality of essential services. However, subsequent debacles, including the collapse of California's wholesale electricity market and the bankruptcy of England's largest railroad company, raised troubling questions about privatization. With this in mind, this book addresses the question of whether government can fairly and effectively regulate "natural monopolies"--that is, those infrastructure and utility services whose technologies make competition impractical.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0674011775
• Corporate Authors:

  Harvard University Press

  79 Garden Street
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02138
• Authors:
  • Gomez-Ibanez, Jose A
• Publication Date: 2003

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 431 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Business practices; Competition; Cost effectiveness; Deregulation; Highway operations; Infrastructure; Private enterprise; Privatization; Public utilities; Public works; Railroads; Transportation policy
• Geographic Terms: California; United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Policy; Railroads; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00979784
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0674011775
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 6 2004 12:00AM