Switching Costs in Infinitely Repeated Games

We show that small switching costs can have surprisingly dramatic effects in infinitely repeated games if these costs are large relative to payoffs in a single period. This shows that the results in Lipman and Wang [2000] do have analogs in the case of infinitely repeated games. We also discuss whether the results here or those in Lipman and Wang [2000] imply a discontinuity in the equilibrium outcome correspondence with respect to small switching costs. We conclude that there is not a discontinuity with respect to switching costs but that the switching costs do create a discontinuity with respect to the length of a period.infinite horizon, repeated games, switching costs, Folk Theorem

On the economics of international environmental agreements

This paper demonstrates that partial cooperation with respect to the use of an international environmental resource can emerge when countries are able to opt to breach an agreement. Although the option of non-compliance restricts the set of coalitions on those which embrace merely two members, broader cooperation can emerge when these two countries compensate a third country for extra reduction efforts. The paper discusses also a reversible and- a irreversible technology option and demonstrates that compensating a third country for the introduction of an irreversible technology may be even advantageous for the donors when this technology incurs higher costs than a reversible one.

Comparing reactive and memory-one strategies of direct reciprocity

Direct reciprocity is a mechanism for the evolution of cooperation based on repeated interactions. When individuals meet repeatedly, they can use conditional strategies to enforce cooperative outcomes that would not be feasible in one-shot social dilemmas. Direct reciprocity requires that individuals keep track of their past interactions and find the right response. However, there are natural bounds on strategic complexity: Humans find it difficult to remember past interactions accurately, especially over long timespans. Given these limitations, it is natural to ask how complex strategies need to be for cooperation to evolve. Here, we study stochastic evolutionary game dynamics in finite populations to systematically compare the evolutionary performance of reactive strategies, which only respond to the co-player's previous move, and memory-one strategies, which take into account the own and the co-player's previous move. In both cases, we compare deterministic strategy and stochastic strategy spaces. For reactive strategies and small costs, we find that stochasticity benefits cooperation, because it allows for generous-tit-for-tat. For memory one strategies and small costs, we find that stochasticity does not increase the propensity for cooperation, because the deterministic rule of win-stay, lose-shift works best. For memory one strategies and large costs, however, stochasticity can augment cooperation.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figure

Costly switching from a status quo

Due to copyright restrictions, the access to the full text of this article is only available via subscription.We axiomatically characterize a theory of status quo-dependent choice where an agent faces switching costs that depend upon both the status quo and the alternative he switches to. In a choice problem with a status quo, the agent chooses the alternatives that yield the highest utility net of switching cost. This generates status quo bias and also allows for a wide range of reference effects. We examine the behavior of such agents in Prisoner’s Dilemma (PD) games. In a single PD game, switching costs can lead to cooperation. However, across different PD games, it is not “anything goes” and instead we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for cooperation rates to be consistent with our model. We then verify that these conditions are satisfied by Charness et al.’s (2016) experimental data. We also perform a similar analysis for other theories such as models of status quo bias, magical thinking, inequity aversion, and fairness; and find that these theories make either invalidated or looser predictions.TÜBİTA

Taxes and the Location of Production

In this paper I examine dynamic tax competition in the context of an endogenous market structure. I therefore consider the tensions between proximity versus concentration, taxation and firm mobility while I also consider strategic interaction by governments (to induce multinationality) and asymmetric firms (for market share). The paper explores how strategic tax setting by rival governments may induce footloose firms to remain committed to initial location decisions, even when faced with adverse taxation regimes. In this instance, sunk costs resulting from the operation of additional plants may confer a first mover advantage on governments that can prevent relocation of firms.

Identification of Network Externalities in Markets for Non-Durables

This paper introduces a structural econometric model of consumer demand for non-durable goods, which exhibits network externalities. The structural model allows us to identify the parameters, which determine the strength of the externalities in the underlying economic model from the empirical estimation results. The estimates of these parameters can then be employed to test the economic significance of the externalities and the compatibility of networks. The identifying assumption that drives our results is that consumers care about the lagged instead of the current network size. We argue that it does not necessarily bound their rationality. To complete our structural model, we provide an example of functional specification that yields a simple linear stochastic model of demand. Using this functional specification, we identify all structural parameters of the model. In the end, the estimation and the stochastic structure of the resulting econometric model are discussed. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG - ( Identifikation der Netzwerkeffekten in den Märkten für nicht-dauerhafte Güter) Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt ein strukturelles ökonometrisches Modell der Konsumnachfrage für nicht-dauerhafte Güter mit externen Netzwerkeffekten vor. Das strukturelle Modell lässt uns die Parameter von Netzwerkeffekten im zugrunde liegenden ökonomischen Modell empirisch zu identifizieren. Die Schätzer der Strukturparameter könnten für das Testen der Netzwerkkompatibilität und der ökonomischen Signifikanz der Netzwerkeffekte verwendet werden. Für die Identifikation nehmen wir an, dass die Konsumenten die Netzwerksgröße verzögert wahrnehmen. Wir argumentieren, dass diese Annahme nicht notwendigerweise mit irrationalem Verhalten gleichzusetzen ist. Um das strukturelle Modell zu vollständigen, geben wir eine funktionale Spezifikation, aus der ein lineares stochastisches Nachfragemodell folgt. Unter Verwendung dieser Spezifikation sind alle Strukturparameter von dem Modell identifiziert. Zum Schluss diskutieren wir die Schätzung und die stochastische Struktur des sich ergebenden ökonometrischen Modells.Structural Econometric Model, Network Externalities, Innovation Diffusion

Short term entry barriers may be good for long term competition

Entry barriers encourage competition “for” the market as opposed to “in” the market. Efficient entrants use penetrating strategies while inefficient incumbents harvest the market before leaving. These phenomenon are explored in an infinite horizon game in which history matters. Under some circumstances, higher entry barriers induce entry of efficient firms while lower entry barriers would not. This comes from the expected benefit of future rents. Social welfare may be enhanced as well. This result suggests that a rule of reason should be applied and that entry barriers should not be considered per se anticompetitive