Final answer:
Antitrust laws in the U.S. are designed to outlaw monopolies and prevent anticompetitive practices, enforced by the FTC and DOJ, but do allow for natural monopolies resulting from innovation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Antitrust laws in the United States are designed primarily to outlaw monopolies and maintain competitive markets. These laws aim to prevent a range of anticompetitive practices, such as price fixing, rigging bids, or market division through the allocation of customers, suppliers, territories, or lines of commerce. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) enforce antitrust laws to ensure that businesses compete fairly and do not create cartel-like situations where they control prices or market outputs as if they were a monopoly.
Monopoly itself is not inherently illegal under these laws; for example, a firm that naturally achieves a monopoly due to innovation or superior products is not in violation. However, active collusion or restrictive practices that intentionally reduce competition are prohibited.