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Reform for Sale : A Common Agency Model with Moral Hazard Frictions

Author

Listed:
  • Perrin Lefebvre

    (DeFiPP - Development Finance and Public Policies)

  • David Martimort

    (TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics - UT Capitole - Université Toulouse Capitole - UT - Université de Toulouse - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

Lobbying competition is viewed as a delegated common agency game under moral hazard. Several interest groups try to influence a policy-maker who exerts effort to increase the probability that a reform be implemented. With no restriction on the space of contribution schedules, all equilibria perfectly reflect the principals' preferences over alternatives. As a result, lobbying competition reaches efficiency. Unfortunately, such equilibria require that the policy-maker pays an interest group when the latter is hurt by the reform. When payments remain non-negative, inducing effort requires leaving a moral hazard rent to the decision- maker. Contributions schedules no longer reflect the principals preferences, and the unique equilibrium is inefficient. Free-riding across congruent groups arises and the set of groups active at equilibrium is endogenously derived. Allocative efficiency and redistribution of the aggregate surplus are linked altogether and both depend on the set of active principals, as well as on the groups size.

Suggested Citation

  • Perrin Lefebvre & David Martimort, 2023. "Reform for Sale : A Common Agency Model with Moral Hazard Frictions," Post-Print hal-04234620, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04234620
    DOI: 10.1017/9781009285605
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04234620
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pluralistic Politics; Lobbying; Common Agency; Moral Hazard;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • H10 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - General

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