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Transaction Costs and the Robustness of the Coase Theorem

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Abstract

We develop a model of undescribable events. Examples of events that are well understood by economic agents but are prohibitively difficult to describe in advance abound in real-life. This notion has also pervaded a substantial amount of economic literature. We put forth a model of such events using a simple co-insurance problem as backdrop. Undescribable events in our model are understood by economic agents --- their consequences and probabilities are known --- but are such that every finite description of such events necessarily leaves out relevant features that have a non-negligible impact on the parties' expected utilities. We also show that two key ingredients of our model --- probabilities that are finitely additive but fail countable additivity, and a state space that is small (discrete in our model) in a measure-theoretic sense --- are necessary ingredients of any model of undescribable events that delivers our results.

Suggested Citation

  • Nabil Al-Najjar, Luca Anderlini & Leonardo Felli, 2003. "Transaction Costs and the Robustness of the Coase Theorem," Working Papers gueconwpa~03-03-28, Georgetown University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:geo:guwopa:gueconwpa~03-03-28
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    JEL classification:

    • C69 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Other
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D89 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Other

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