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Information Revelation in Constant-Sum Games: Elections and Beyond

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  • Navin Kartik
  • Francesco Squintani
  • Katrin Tinn

Abstract

We study two-player constant-sum Bayesian games with type-independent payoffs. Under a "completeness" statistical condition, any "identifiable'" equilibrium is an ex-post equilibrium. We apply this result to a Downsian election in which office-motivated candidates possess private information about policy consequences. The ex-post property implies a sharp bound on information aggregation: equilibrium voter welfare is at best equal to the efficient use of a single candidate's information. In canonical specifications, politicians may "anti-pander" (overreact to their information), whereas some degree of pandering would be socially beneficial. We discuss other applications of the ex-post result.

Suggested Citation

  • Navin Kartik & Francesco Squintani & Katrin Tinn, 2024. "Information Revelation in Constant-Sum Games: Elections and Beyond," Papers 2406.17084, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2025.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2406.17084
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