Competition, Monopolies, and Cartels Although oligopolists would like to form cartels and earn monopoly profits, often that is not possible. Antitrust laws prohibit explicit agreements among oligopolists as a matter of public policy. H arc Inc. items and derived items c ht o 2001 by Harcourt, IncHarcourt, Inc. items and derived items copyright © 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. Competition, Monopolies, and Cartels Although oligopolists would like to form cartels and earn monopoly profits, often that is not possible. Antitrust laws prohibit explicit agreements among oligopolists as a matter of public policy