els ▁and ▁court ▁games ▁or ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁inter - state ▁fair ness ▁agre ements , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁scientific ▁theory . ▁Such ▁has ▁developed ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁for ▁the ▁scope ▁of ▁the ▁economy , ▁driven ▁by ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁understand ▁and ▁class ify ▁the ▁mass ▁emer gence ▁of ▁entrepr ene ur ial ▁cart els . ▁Within ▁the ▁economic ▁cart el ▁theory , ▁one ▁can ▁distinguish ▁a ▁classical ▁and ▁a ▁modern ▁phase . ▁The ▁break ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁was ▁set ▁through ▁the ▁enfor cement ▁of ▁a ▁general ▁cart el ▁ban ▁after ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁by ▁the ▁US ▁government . ▁ ▁Classic ▁cart el ▁theory ▁ ▁The ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁usage ▁of ▁' cart el ' ▁for ▁entrepr ene ur ial ▁co - oper ations ▁was ▁the ▁German ▁speaking ▁region ▁of ▁Central ▁Europe . ▁Al ready ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁' Cart ell ' ▁came ▁up ▁for ▁railway ▁companies ▁who ▁un ified ▁their ▁technical ▁standards , ▁po o led ▁their ▁stock s ▁of ▁rail road ▁cars ▁and ▁coordin ated ▁their ▁time ▁sched ules . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 3 , ▁an ▁explan atory ▁framework ▁was ▁based ▁upon ▁this ▁novel ▁understanding ▁of ▁" cart el ": ▁the ▁classic ▁cart el ▁theory , ▁which ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁way ▁of ▁German ▁origin : ▁The ▁Aust ro - H ung arian ▁professor ▁of ▁econom ics ▁Friedrich ▁Klein w äch ter ▁had ▁cond ensed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁case ▁studies ▁to ▁the ▁draft ▁of ▁an ▁empir ical