Alden Abbott

Alden Abbott (Col ’74 CM) has published Trade, Competition and Domestic Regulatory Policy, coauthored with Shanker Singham. 

Trade, Competition and Domestic Regulatory Policy presents a combination of analysis of both international trade and investment policies, and competition and regulatory policies. This book contains a detailed treatment of how property rights protection, including intangible property rights, is a critical element of ensuring open trade and competitive markets. The book examines how property rights have developed over time and how they have been integrated into trade and competition policy, all while providing a comprehensive analysis of international trade theory and other failures to protect various kinds of property rights. 

Alden Abbott (Col ’74 CM) joined the Mercatus Center at George Mason University as Senior Research Fellow in January 2021. He runs a research program on antitrust and competition policy. From 2018-2021, Abbott served as general counsel of the Federal Trade Commission. He was an adjunct professor at George Mason (now Scalia) Law School from 1991-2018. In August, the Mercatus Center released his podcast interview on antitrust and Christianity, featuring a discussion with UVA Economics Professor Kenneth Elzinga and University of Michigan Professor Dan Crane.