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The regulation of markets with interdependent demands

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  • Fiocco, Raffaele
  • Scarpa, Carlo

Abstract

We examine the regulatory design of a market for products with interdependent demands, where regulated firms provide (imperfect) substitutes and can engage in lobbying activities. Under centralized regulation, a single regulator is established, whose mandate is to maximize aggregate welfare. Under decentralized regulation, each firm is assigned to a regulator charged with maximizing the welfare generated by that firm. With asymmetric cost information, centralized regulation results in a negative externality between firms when engaging in lobbying. Decentralized regulation removes this externality and reduces lobbying. Since this benefit comes at the cost of miscoordination between regulators, a trade-off results which favors decentralized regulation when goods are substitutes enough.

Suggested Citation

  • Fiocco, Raffaele & Scarpa, Carlo, 2014. "The regulation of markets with interdependent demands," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 1-12.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:iepoli:v:27:y:2014:i:c:p:1-12
    DOI: 10.1016/j.infoecopol.2014.02.001
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Asymmetric information; Energy markets; Lobbying; Public transportation; Regulation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation

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