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Moral Hazard and Free Riding in Collective Action

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Author Info
Vincent Anesi () (University of Nottingham)
Abstract

Most political and economic theorists point to moral hazard in teams as the main obstacle to lobbies' collective action. In this paper, we address this important issue with a coalition-formation game. In the process of doing so, we characterize equilibrium lobby structures both in the absence and in the presence of moral hazard. Three notable results emerge from such an exercise: (i) an equilibrium lobby structure exists under both specications of the model, (ii) moral hazard in teams may raise large groups' equilibrium lobby size, and (iii) it may also raise the total contribution to lobbying of large groups with low organizational costs.

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Paper provided by The Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics, School of Economics, University of Nottingham in its series Discussion Papers with number 2007-04.

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Date of creation: Aug 2007
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Handle: RePEc:cdx:dpaper:2007-04

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Related research
Keywords: Collective action Moral hazard in teams Lobby formation Free-rider problem

Find related papers by JEL classification:
C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Models of Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Pecorino, Paul, 2001. "Can by-product lobbying firms compete?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(3), pages 377-397, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Petrakis, Emmanuel & Xepapadeas, Anastasios, 1996. "Environmental consciousness and moral hazard in international agreements to protect the environment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 95-110, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Todd Sandler & Keith Hartley, 2001. "Economics of Alliances: The Lessons for Collective Action," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(3), pages 869-896, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Pecorino, Paul, 1998. "Is There a Free-Rider Problem in Lobbying? Endogenous Tariffs, Trigger Strategies, and the Number of Firms," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(3), pages 652-60, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Claude, et al d'Aspremont, 1983. "On the Stability of Collusive Price Leadership," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 16(1), pages 17-25, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Austen-Smith, David, 1981. "Voluntary Pressure Groups," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 48(190), pages 143-53, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Paz Espinosa, Maria & Macho-Stadler, Ines, 2003. "Endogenous formation of competing partnerships with moral hazard," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 183-194, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Leonardo Felli & Antonio Merlo, 2006. "Endogenous Lobbying," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 4(1), pages 180-215, 03. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  9. Murdoch, James C. & Sandler, Todd & Vijverberg, Wim P. M., 2003. "The participation decision versus the level of participation in an environmental treaty: a spatial probit analysis," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 337-362, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Devashish Mitra, 1999. "Endogenous Lobby Formation and Endogenous Protection: A Long-Run Model of Trade Policy Determination," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(5), pages 1116-1134, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Schneider, Friedrich & Pommerehne, Werner W, 1981. "Free Riding and Collective Action: An Experiment in Public Microeconomics," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 96(4), pages 689-704, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Le Breton, Michel & Salanie, Francois, 2003. "Lobbying under political uncertainty," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(12), pages 2589-2610, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Marick F. Masters & John T. Delaney, 1987. "Union political activities: A review of the empirical literature," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 40(3), pages 336-353, April.
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