Christopher Koopman

Research Fellow

Christopher Koopman is a research fellow with the Project for the Study of American Capitalism at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He specializes in regulation, competition, and innovation, with a particular focus on public choice and the economics of government favoritism. His research and commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Bloomberg, NPR, and the Daily Beast. He is also a contributor at The Hill.

Koopman earned his J.D. from Ave Maria University and his LL.M. in law and economics at George Mason University where he now teaches in both the economics department and the George Mason University School of Law.

Published Research

The Sharing Economy and Consumer Protection Regulation: The Case for Policy Change

Christopher Koopman, Matthew Mitchell, Adam Thierer | May 15, 2015

When market circumstances change dramatically — or when new technology or competition alleviates the need for regulation — then public policy should evolve and adapt to accommodate these realities. This paper concludes with some proposals for further research in this area, and a call for a more informed regulatory approach that accounts for the innovations of the sharing economy.

What Is the Sharing Economy?

Christopher Koopman | Feb 27, 2015

The real issues should not be lost in the noise. Are people sharing? Not always. But, then again, that really isn’t what the sharing economy is about. Instead, they are benefitting from mutually beneficial interactions that would not be possible without the sharing economy’s platforms.

Today’s Solutions, Tomorrow’s Problems

Christopher Koopman | Feb 17, 2015

The sharing economy of today must be allowed to compete with and challenge the business models of the past. And – just as important – tomorrow’s innovators must be able to challenge today’s upstarts, who will soon enough be the incumbents.

The Sharing Economy and Consumer Protection Regulation: The Case for Policy Change

Christopher Koopman, Matthew Mitchell, Adam Thierer | Dec 08, 2014

When market circumstances change dramatically—or when new technology or competition alleviates the need for regulation—then public policy should evolve and adapt to accommodate these realities. This paper concludes with some proposals for further research in this area, and a call for a more informed regulatory approach that accounts for the innovations of the sharing economy.

Working Papers

Entry Regulation and Rural Health Care: Certificate-of-Need Laws, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Community Hospitals

Thomas Stratmann, Christopher Koopman | Feb 18, 2016

We examine the effect of entry regulation on ambulatory surgical centers and community hospitals and find that there are both more rural hospitals and more rural ambulatory surgical centers per capita in states without a certificate-of-need program regulating the opening of an ambulatory surgical center. This finding indicates that certificate-of-need laws may not be protecting access to rural health care, but are instead correlated with decreases in rural access.

How the Internet, the Sharing Economy, and Reputational Feedback Mechanisms Solve the “Lemons Problem”

Adam Thierer, Christopher Koopman, Anne Hobson, Chris Kuiper | May 26, 2015

This paper argues that the sharing economy—through the use of the Internet and real time reputational feedback mechanisms—is providing a solution to the lemons problem that many regulators have spent decades attempting to overcome.

Charts

The Impact of Certificate-of-Need Laws on Community Hospitals and Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Thomas Stratmann, Christopher Koopman | Mar 15, 2016

CON programs do not promote access to rural care in the form of more rural hospitals. Instead, CON laws are associated with a decrease, not an increase, in the number of hospitals and ASCs, rural or otherwise. CON laws should not be the tool of choice for policymakers seeking to protect access to health care in rural areas.

How State CON Laws Restrict Access to Health Care

Christopher Koopman, Thomas Stratmann, Mohamad Elbarasse | May 13, 2015

The existence of a CON program is detrimental to the welfare of the residents of the state, regardless of the number of restrictions. Even for states with only a few restrictions, Stratmann and Russ find that the presence of a CON program in a state is associated with fewer hospital beds, Computed Tomography (CT) scanners, and MRI machines.

40 Years of Certificate-of-Need Laws Across America

Matthew Mitchell, Christopher Koopman | Oct 14, 2014

Currently, 35 states and the District of Columbia prohibit entry or expansion of healthcare facilities through “certificate-of-need” (CON) programs. These laws, which require government permission before a facility can expand, offer a new service, or purchase certain pieces of equipment, were enacted in the belief that restricting entry would lower health care costs and increase availability of these services to the poor.

Policy Briefs

Evaluating the Growth of the 1099 Workforce

Eli Dourado, Christopher Koopman | Dec 10, 2015

We report on new data received from the Internal Revenue Service that sheds light on the changes in independent contracting. Our data support the claim that there has been an increase in nontraditional employment, but the data refute the idea that this increase is caused by the sharing-economy firms that have arisen since 2008. Instead, we view the rise of sharing-economy firms as a response to a stagnant traditional labor sector and a product of the growing independent workforce.

Certificate-of-Need Laws: Implications for Arkansas

Christopher Koopman, Thomas Stratmann, Mohamad Elbarasse | Jun 09, 2015

Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia currently limit entry or expansion of health care facilities through certificate-of-need (CON) programs. These programs prohibit health care providers from entering new markets or making changes to their existing capacity without first gaining the approval of state regulators. Since 1975, Arkansas has been among the states that restrict the supply of health care in this way, with six devices and services—including nursing home beds and long term care beds, psychiatric services, and assisted living and residential care facilities—requiring a certificate of need from the state before the device may be purchased or the service offered.

Certificate-of-Need Laws: Implications for West Virginia

Christopher Koopman, Thomas Stratmann, Mohamad Elbarasse | Jun 02, 2015

Since 1977, West Virginia has been among the states that restrict the supply of health care in this way, with 21 devices and services—including acute hospital beds, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scanners—requiring a certificate of need from the state before the device may be purchased or the service offered.

Certificate-of-Need Laws: Implications for Kentucky

Christopher Koopman, Thomas Stratmann, Mohamad Elbarasse | May 26, 2015

Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia currently limit entry or expansion of health care facilities through certificate-of-need (CON) programs. These programs prohibit health care providers from entering new markets or making changes to their existing capacity without first gaining the approval of state regulators. Since 1972, Kentucky has been among the states that restrict the supply of health care in this way, with 18 devices and services—including acute hospital beds, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scanners—requiring a certificate of need from the state before the device may be purchased or the service offered.

More Policy Briefs

Testimony & Comments

Comments regarding Occupational Licensing in North Carolina

Christopher Koopman | Mar 16, 2016

Whatever the justification behind licensing in the past, its rationale is disappearing as technology provides new solutions to old problems. This meeting is an opportunity for policymakers to reevaluate traditional regulations aimed at addressing information deficiencies and allow technological innovation to do what regulation could not: improve consumer welfare while encouraging innovation and economic growth.

Certificate-of-Need Laws: Implications for South Carolina

Christopher Koopman, Thomas Stratmann, Mohamad Elbarasse | Jun 12, 2015

There is little evidence to support the claim that certificates of need are an effective cost-control measure; and Stratmann and Russ have found that these programs have no effect on the level of charity care provided to the poor. While controlling health care costs and increasing care for the poor may be laudable public policy goals, the evidence strongly suggests that CON regulations are not an effective mechanism for achieving them. Instead, these programs simply decrease the supply and availability of health care services by limiting entry and competition.

The Sharing Economy: Issues Facing Platforms, Participants, and Regulators

Christopher Koopman, Matthew Mitchell, Adam Thierer | May 26, 2015

The commission should shift enforcement efforts away from stopping private restraint of trade and toward stopping public restraint of trade. In light of George Stigler’s observation that “the state has one basic resource which in pure principle is not shared with even the mightiest of its citizens: the power to coerce,” the commission would be wise to adopt Commissioner Wright’s approach and shift resources toward fighting public restraint of trade.

Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations-Movie Theaters; Movie Captioning and Audio Description

Christopher Koopman, Scott Eastman | Dec 01, 2014

Focusing on outcomes, rather than outputs, would give theaters more freedom to adjust the amount of devices they need to purchase based on the number of disabled patrons they actually serve.

Research Summaries & Toolkits

Behavioral Economics, Consumer Choice, and Regulatory Agencies

Christopher Koopman, Nita Ghei | Aug 27, 2013

In the mid-1970s behavioral economics began to challenge the neoclassical rational actor model by fusing the insights of psychology and economics. Over the course of the next 40 years, a prescriptive framework built around these insights shifted focus toward attempting to mitigate the harm individuals cause themselves as a result of what the agencies view as “irrational” behavior.

Media Clippings

Expert Commentary

Best Bet Is Expanded Economic Freedom

Richmond Times-Dispatch

By Christopher Koopman, Jim Pagels |

Mar 26, 2016

Virginia's new Fantasy Contests Act dictates how fantasy sports companies (including DraftKings, FanDuel, or future upstarts who may develop a better business model) can offer games and pay out prizes, requires them to hire a third party to screen customers, and mandates annual audits.

Rural Virginians Pay Steep Price for failing Policy

The Roanoke Times

By Christopher Koopman, Thomas Stratmann |

Mar 06, 2016

If judged only by their intentions, COPN laws are certainly praiseworthy. Controlling costs, increasing access, and getting care to those in need should be at the center of any debate over healthcare. Judged by their effects, however, COPN laws have failed.

Ride-Sharing through the Fog of Labor Laws

The Hill

By Christopher Koopman |

Feb 12, 2016

At both the state and federal levels, sharing economy apps and platforms do not fit easily within existing labor laws. As it grows, the sharing economy repeatedly challenges the status quo of government regulation.

State of the Union: Mercatus Center Experts Share Their Thoughts before Tonight's Event

By Omar Ahmad Al-Ubaydli, Brian Blase, Donald J. Boudreaux, Eli Dourado, Christopher Koopman |

Jan 12, 2016

With his last State of the Union address tonight, President Barack Obama has much to look back on over his past 8 years in office. Our experts have taken this time to reflect on some of the highlights he might bring up in his speech tonight.

More Expert Commentary

Christopher Koopman