Competition is a central and ubiquitous concept of economic analysis. It is much debated whether there has been a decline of competition in the market place, but assuredly no decline has taken place in its role in economic analysis.1 Although competition, and more generally rivalry no doubt has a vastly longer history in political than in economic literature, it has received more intensive theoretical and empirical analysis in economics. This paper is devoted to the analogies and contrasts between economic and political competition.