2001/09/20 by Barbara A. Cherry, Cherry, Barbara A.
Computer Science · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Engineering · Social Sciences · #Computers and Society (cs.CY) #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism #ICT Impact and Policies #K.4.m Miscellaneous #Local Government Finance and Decentralization #cs.CY
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.cs/0109038
29th TPRC Conference, 2001
arxiv created 2001/09/20 · openalex publication_date 2001/09/20 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Successful achievement of public policies requires satisfaction of conditions affecting political feasibility for policy adoption and maintenance as well as economic viability of the desired activity or enterprise. This paper discusses the difficulties of satisfying these joint constraints given the legacy of the common law doctrines of "just price" and "businesses affected with a public interest." In this regard, it is helpful to view traditional public utility regulation as a form of welfare state regulation, as it suffers from similar political problems from policy retrenchment. The retrenchment problems are examined in the context of the electricity crisis in California as well as the passage and implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. As expected, retrenchment from low residential retail rates - the most universalistic benefit for customers - faces the greatest political resistance. The societal trade-offs between monopoly and competition must be reexamined in light of the greater instability and political difficulties under a deregulatory regime.