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Luxembourg in the Early Days of the EEC: Null Player or Not?

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  • Alexander Mayer

    (Department of Economics, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany)

Abstract

Voters whose yes-or-no decision never makes a difference to the outcome in a simple voting game are known as “null players”. Luxembourg’s role in the Council of Ministers during the first period of the European Economic Community (EEC) is often cited as a real-world case. The paper contrasts the textbook claim that Luxembourg was a null player with a more comprehensive picture of Luxembourg’s role in EEC’s voting system. The assessment of Luxembourg’s voting power is sensitive to the role played by the European Commission in the decision-making procedure and the measurement concepts underlying power evaluations.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Mayer, 2018. "Luxembourg in the Early Days of the EEC: Null Player or Not?," Games, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-12, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jgames:v:9:y:2018:i:2:p:29-:d:148247
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Maaser, Nicola & Paetzel, Fabian & Traub, Stefan, 2019. "Power illusion in coalitional bargaining: An experimental analysis," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 433-450.

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