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Regulation and altruism

Author

Listed:
  • Izabela Jelovac
  • Samuel Kembou Nzale

Abstract

We study optimal contracts in a regulator–agent setting with joint production, altruistic and selfish agents, limited liability, and uneasy outcome measurement. Such a setting represents sectors of activities such as education and healthcare provision. The agents and the regulator jointly produce an outcome for which they all care to some extent that is varying from agent to agent. Some agents, the altruistic ones, care more than the regulator does while others, the selfish agents, care less. Moral hazard is present due to both the agent's effort and the joint outcome that are not contractible. Adverse selection is present too since the regulator cannot a priori distinguish between altruistic and selfish agents. Contracts consist of a simple transfer from the regulator to the agents together with the regulator's input in the joint production. We show that, under the conditions of our setting and when we face both moral hazard and adverse selection, the regulator maximizes welfare with a menu of contracts, which specify higher transfers for the altruistic agents and higher regulator's inputs for the selfish agents.

Suggested Citation

  • Izabela Jelovac & Samuel Kembou Nzale, 2020. "Regulation and altruism," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 22(1), pages 49-68, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jpbect:v:22:y:2020:i:1:p:49-68
    DOI: 10.1111/jpet.12368
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    Cited by:

    1. Pau Olivella, 2024. "Asymmetric information in health economics: Can contract regulation improve equity and efficiency?," Chapters, in: Daphne R. Raban & Julia WÅ‚odarczyk (ed.), The Elgar Companion to Information Economics, chapter 8, pages 154-169, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Bardey, David & Kembou, Samuel & Ventelou, Bruno, 2021. "Physicians’ incentives to adopt personalised medicine: Experimental evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 686-713.
    3. Nicolas Quérou & Antoine Soubeyran & Raphael Soubeyran, 2020. "Contracting under unverifiable monetary costs," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 892-909, October.
    4. François Maréchal & Lionel Thomas, 2021. "The impact of medical complications on optimal hospital payment," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 23(6), pages 1144-1173, December.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • D86 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Economics of Contract Law

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