单选题 The United States is often considered a young nation, but in fact it is next to the oldest continuous government in the world, and the reason is that its people have always been willing to accommodate themselves to change. It should be realized, however, that sharing benefits of our achievements was the result of trial and error. Unprincipled businessmen had first to be restrained by government before they came to learn that they must serve the general good in pursuing their economic interests. Thus, although early statesmen strongly believed in private enterprise, they chose to make the post office a government monopoly and to give the schools to public ownership. Since then, government has broadened its activities in many ways including preventing monopolies from taking over the economy.
Increased growth by acquisition by our largest corporations has resulted in a situation where virtually independent economic giants will dominate the American economy. Growth of these vast corporate structures, even though accompanied by an increase in the number of much smaller and less powerful companies that operate under their control, foretells the creation of monopoly—like structures throughout American business. In general, the major acquisitions by the sample companies were corporate organizations that were profitable and successful before acquisition. The main effect of the merger or acquisition was to transfer control and management of an already successful enterprise to a new group. Profitability ratios indicate that, in most instances, the acquired companies operated less efficiently after acquisition.
Americans hold with Lincoln that "the legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done but cannot do at all, or cannot do so well for themselves, in their separate and individual capacities." Clearly merger restriction is one example of legitimate government intervention.