Trust Issues: Will President Barack Obama Reconcile the Tenuous Relationship Between Antitrust Enforcement Agencies?

Given the importance President Obama has placed on antitrust law, this comment will address the tenuous relationship between the FTC and the DOJ, and the likelihood the Obama Administration will reconcile it. This comment will first explore the development and purpose of antitrust law in the United States. Second, it will discuss why the FTC and DOJ have a contentious and ineffective relationship. Third, it will address the narrowing effect the Obama Administration is likely to have on antitrust enforcement, despite the downturned economy. Finally, this comment will summarize what circumstances created a climate of under-enforcement and uncertainty, and describe the change the Obama administration will bring to antirust law