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Pledge-and-review in the laboratory

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  • Lippert, Steffen
  • Tremewan, James

Abstract

We perform a laboratory test of Pledge-and-Review bargaining, implementing a simplified version of the model analysed in Harstad (2021a). In theory, this institution should increase contributions to a public good only if there is uncertainty over the value of possible future payoffs. In contrast, we find that Pledge-and-Review increases efficiency in all the settings we investigate, and that the improvement is most persistent in our setting without uncertainty. Our results suggest that the Pledge-and-Review institution may be useful, even without uncertainty, as it allows conditional cooperators to test, risk free, the cooperativeness of their partners.

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  • Lippert, Steffen & Tremewan, James, 2021. "Pledge-and-review in the laboratory," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 179-195.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:gamebe:v:130:y:2021:i:c:p:179-195
    DOI: 10.1016/j.geb.2021.08.003
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    Cited by:

    1. Harstad, Bård, 2023. "Pledge-and-review bargaining," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    2. Harstad, Bård, 2021. "A Theory of Pledge-and-Review Bargaining," Memorandum 5/2022, Oslo University, Department of Economics, revised 21 Jun 2021.
    3. Goeschl, Timo & Soldà, Alice, 2023. "(Un)Trustworthy Pledges and Cooperation in Social Dilemmas," Working Papers 0728, University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics.
    4. Timo Goeschl, 2023. "(Un)Trustworthy Pledges And Cooperation In Social Dilemmas," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 23/1070, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    5. Eichner, Thomas & Schopf, Mark, 2021. "Pledge and Review Bargaining in Environmental Agreements: Kyoto vs. Paris," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242450, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pledge and review; Public goods; Voluntary contributions; Conditional cooperation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General
    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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