UCLA

This dissertation collects three studies on competition, resource allocation and the economic institutions that favor growth. The first chapter proposes a novel theoretical model of oligopoly in general equilibrium, which is used to investigate rising oligopoly power in the United States in 1997-2017. The second chapter quantifies the adverse effects of red tape on aggregate investment and growth across 85 countries. The third chapter offers an empirical investigation of the causes of the productivity decline of Italy after 1995, with an emphasis on the role of the ICT revolution and of meritocratic management practices.