This paper analyses competition in the professions, paying attention to the consequences for the price level and price differentiation in particular. This is relevant not only for the evaluation of competition policy, but also for monetary policy. If enhancing competition is successful, it may...

Dutch abstract: Organisaties kunnen computers gebruiken om beslissingen over mensen te nemen: digitale differentiatie. Zo kunnen verzekeraars prijzen aanpassen aan individuele consumenten, en kan de overheid computers gebruiken voor fraudebestrijding. Zulke digitale differentiatie is vaak nuttig...

English version of this paper can be found at 'http://ssrn.com/abstract=2435295' http://ssrn.com/abstract=2435295Dutch Abstract: de combinatie van weg en dijk bespaart kosten, en genereert tegelijkertijd nieuwe bronnen van inkomsten. Als gevolg hoeft de functie van waterkering geen extra risico...

Tight oligopolies are oligopolies the market characteristics of which facilitate the realisation of supranormal profits for a substantial period of time. We entangle the link between market structure and the possibility of welfare reducing behaviour by firms. A useful distinction can be made...

Pleas for a level playing field, for instance in international trade, are often not well-founded. This is because it is not exactly clear what a 'level playing field' means. But even if it would be clear what the plea would imply, a level playing field is not always desirable from an economic...

In cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) it is usually assumed that a QALY is of equal value to everybody, irrespective of the patient's age. However, it is possible that society assigns different social values to a QALY according to who gets it. In this paper we discuss the possibility of weighting...