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When the Powerful Drag Their Feet

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Author Info
Paul Schure () (Department of Economics, University of Victoria)
Francesco Passerelli () (Department of Economics, University of Victoria)
David Scoones () (Università degli Studi di Teramo and Università Bocconi)

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Abstract

We examine the timing of group decisions that are taken by weighted voting. Decision-making is in two stages. In the second stage, players vote on a policy restriction. In the first stage, players vote to determine the timing of the second-stage decision: “early”, before players’ types are revealed, or “late”. Players differ in both size and voting power. We show that players with greater power tend to prefer a late vote, whereas less powerful players tend to want to vote early. By contrast, large players tend to prefer an early vote and small players a late vote. We present evidence from the literatures on corporate governance, international relations, European Union governance, and oil extraction. We examine an extension in which players choose the qualified majority threshold besides the timing of the second-stage vote.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Department of Economics, University of Victoria in its series Department Discussion Papers with number 0703.

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Length: 47 pages
Date of creation: 04 Sep 2007
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Handle: RePEc:vic:vicddp:0703

Note: ISSN 1914-2838
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Related research
Keywords: Timing of decisions; strategic delay; committee decisions; weighted voting; multilateralism;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Models of Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
D78 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Positive Analysis of Policy-Making and Implementation
H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism

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    Other versions:
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