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Monopolistic Competition: Beyond the CES

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  • Thisse, Jacques-François
  • Zhelobodko, Evgeny
  • Kokovin, Sergey

Abstract

We propose a general model of monopolistic competition and derive a complete characterization of the market equilibrium based on an Arrow-Pratt measure of concavity of the utility, interpreted as the relative love for variety. When the relative love for variety increases with the consumption level, the market displays standard competitive effects. On the contrary, when it decreases, the equilibrium price increases with the number of firms and the market size, while the CES is the borderline case. Finally, we apply our setting to trade theory and uncover several new properties hindered by the CES, such as dumping and reverse dumping.

Suggested Citation

  • Thisse, Jacques-François & Zhelobodko, Evgeny & Kokovin, Sergey, 2010. "Monopolistic Competition: Beyond the CES," CEPR Discussion Papers 7947, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:7947
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    Cited by:

    1. Kristian Behrens & Giordano Mion & Yasusada Murata & Jens Südekum, 2014. "Trade, Wages, And Productivity," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 55(4), pages 1305-1348, November.
    2. Behrens, Kristian & Kanemoto, Yoshitsugu & Murata, Yasusada, 2015. "The Henry George Theorem in a second-best world," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 34-51.
    3. Monika Mrázová & J Peter Neary, 2019. "Selection Effects with Heterogeneous Firms," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 17(4), pages 1294-1334.
    4. Evgeny Zhelobodko & Sergey Kokovin & Mathieu Parenti & Jacques-François Thisse, 2011. "Monopolistic competition in general equilibrium: Beyond the CES," PSE Working Papers halshs-00566431, HAL.
    5. Nocco, Antonella & Ottaviano, Gianmarco I.P. & Salto, Matteo, 2017. "Monopolistic competition and optimum product selection: Why and how heterogeneity matters," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(4), pages 704-717.
    6. Adrien BLANCHET & Pascal MOSSAY & Filippo SANTAMBROGIO, 2013. "Existence and Uniqueness of Equilibrium for a Spatial Model of Social Interactions," Discussion papers 13055, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    7. Silva, Mario, 2017. "New monetarism with endogenous product variety and monopolistic competition," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 158-181.
    8. E. Weyl & Michal Fabinger, 2015. "A Tractable Approach to Pass-Through Patterns," 2015 Meeting Papers 747, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    9. Naoto Jinji & Xingyuan Zhang & Shoji Haruna, 2010. "Trade Patterns and International Technology Spillovers:Theory and Evidence from Patent Citations," Discussion papers e-10-006, Graduate School of Economics Project Center, Kyoto University, revised Mar 2011.
    10. Melitz, Marc J. & Redding, Stephen J., 2014. "Heterogeneous Firms and Trade," Handbook of International Economics, in: Gopinath, G. & Helpman, . & Rogoff, K. (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 0, pages 1-54, Elsevier.
    11. Kichko, Sergey & Kokovin, Sergey & Zhelobodko, Evgeny, 2014. "Trade patterns and export pricing under non-CES preferences," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 129-142.
    12. Feenstra, Robert C., 2018. "Restoring the product variety and pro-competitive gains from trade with heterogeneous firms and bounded productivity," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 16-27.
    13. André de Palma & Karim Kilani & Gilbert Laffond, 2013. "Best and worst choices," Working Papers halshs-00825656, HAL.
    14. Garella, Paolo G. & Lambertini, Luca, 2014. "Bidimensional vertical differentiation," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 1-10.
    15. Carrillo Murillo, David Guillermo & Liedtke, Gernot, 2013. "A model for the formation of colloidal structures in freight transportation: The case of hinterland terminals," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 55-70.
    16. Sravaitri CHAUDHURI, 2020. "Welfare enhancing uncertainty," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(4(625), W), pages 73-88, Winter.
    17. Dao‐Zhi Zeng & Shin‐Kun Peng, 2021. "Symmetric tax competition and welfare with footloose capital," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(2), pages 472-491, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monopolistic competition; Relative love for variety; Entry; Trade;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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