The Lifecycles of New Competition Agencies : Explaining Variation in Successful Implementation of New Competition Regimes Since the 1980 s

Since the late 1980s, the number of jurisdictions with competition laws has grown from roughly 20 to nearly 130. At least two basic questions arise from the remarkable modern expansion of a regulatory discipline established in North America in the late 19 Century. First, how successfully have the new adopters implemented their competition laws? Second, what factors account for the relative success or failure in implementation?