EC365 Theory of Monopoly and Regulation
EC365 Theory of Monopoly and Regulation
EC365 Theory of Monopoly and Regulation
Term Paper Titles
The Assignment for EC365 takes the form of a term paper (extended essay) to be
submitted via FASER (the University’s online coursework submission facility). The
paper maximum length is 2,000 words (excluding references).
The deadline for the assignment will be 5 May, 2023, at 5pm. Late submissions
receive a mark of zero: no extensions are granted. See the Undergraduate Economics
Handbook.
Please work individually on this term paper and submit your own work. You
should feel free to discuss your project with others, especially other students in the
module, but in this case you should write the names of people you discussed the
project with (and who may have influenced your work) at the top of the term paper.
Please be careful to avoid plagiarism such as inadvertently copying from the work of
other students.
You are responsible for complying with the University’s regulations on academic
offences. See the Undergraduate Economics Handbook.
Choose ONE among the following titles:
1. Should regulatory policy show deference to big technology firms such as
Amazon, Google and Facebook that benefit consumers through lower prices
and increased product availability or is there an inherent “Curse of Bigness”
case that these firms should be regulated like public utilities?
As a starting point, you may find the following references helpful:
Strowell A. and W. Vertoge (2017), “Digital Platforms: To Regulate or Not
To Regulate?”, in Devolder, B., The Platform Economy. Intersentia, 2019, pp. 1-
30.
Cambini, C., & Rondi, L. (2010). Incentive regulation and investment: evidence from
European energy utilities. Journal of regulatory economics, 38(1), 1-26.
Joskow, P. L. (2014). Incentive regulation in theory and practice: electricity
distribution and transmission networks. Economic regulation and its reform: What
have we learned?, 291-344.
All these papers are available online through google scholar.
3. What are Research Joint Ventures (RJVs)? Are they good for innovation and
for economic welfare?
As a starting point, you may find the following references helpful:
Caloghirou, Y., Ioannides, S., & Vonortas, N. S. (2003). Research joint
ventures. Journal of Economic Surveys, 17(4), 541-570.
Poyago-Theotoky, J. (1997). Research joint ventures and product innovation: some
welfare aspects. Economics of innovation and new technology, 5(1), 51-73.
Röller, L. H., Tombak, M. M., & Siebert, R. (1997). Why firms form Research Joint
Ventures: theory and evidence (No. FS IV 97-6r). WZB Discussion Paper.
All these papers are available online through google scholar.
GENERAL POINTS
Submission deadline: TBA
You will receive marks for demonstrating knowledge related to the subject of the term
paper. Make sure that your answer is relevant to the question and reaches a justified
conclusion.
Avoid academic offences
Never copy from any source unless the words copied are enclosed in “quotation
marks” and are properly referenced.
Avoid long quotations
Use quotations for a given purpose, such as stating someone’s position or view. Do
not let quotations be a substitute for your own exposition: do not be afraid to use your
own words.
Structure matters
Make sure your paper is well organised and that you have a coherent piece of work.
Divide your paper in logically coherent sections, e.g.:
• Introduction: Set out clearly from the beginning the issues that you are going to
discuss. What is this paper about all about? Set out briefly how your arguments
will unfold and how you plan to structure your piece of work.
• In the sections following your introduction, analyse your arguments clearly and try
to keep a logical sequence. Refer to relevant literature in making your arguments,
and include all references in the bibliography at the end of the paper. Do not be
afraid to include technical material or set out models formally; if you use equations
always explain the relevant variables at first usage.
• Conclusion: Give a brief summary of your paper. Say what exactly you analysed,
highlight the most important aspects and summarise your main conclusions.
Comment on any issues that you feel deserve further exploration.
• Always provide bibliographical references, with full publication details (e.g.
journal title, volume and page numbers; working paper series; book publisher and
location). List references alphabetically by the first author’s surname.
Presentation matters
Pay attention to coherence, style and layout. Use word processing and double line-
spacing with a 12 point font. Write in coherent, grammatically correct English and
check spelling.
References
You should add extra references on top of the starting ones outlined above. While
there is not a single rule on how many references to include in a paper, it is expected
that at least 5-7 references are used in a given term paper.
Keep to the word limit. Term papers should not exceed 2,000 words (excluding the
list of references)