UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Costless Information and Costly Verification: A Case for Transparency

Kattwinkel, Deniz; Knoepfle, Jan; (2023) Costless Information and Costly Verification: A Case for Transparency. Journal of Political Economy , 131 (2) pp. 504-548. 10.1086/721618. Green open access

[thumbnail of Kattwinkel_721618.pdf]
Preview
Text
Kattwinkel_721618.pdf

Download (585kB) | Preview

Abstract

A principal has to take a binary decision. She relies on information privately held by an agent who prefers the same action regardless of his type. The principal cannot incentivize with transfers but can learn the agent’s type at a cost. Additionally, the principal privately observes a signal correlated with the agent’s type. Transparent mechanisms are optimal: the principal’s payoff is the same as if her signal was public. A simple cutoff form is optimal: favorable signals ensure the agent’s preferred action. Signals below this cutoff lead to the nonpreferred action unless the agent appeals. An appeal always triggers type verification.

Type: Article
Title: Costless Information and Costly Verification: A Case for Transparency
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1086/721618
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1086/721618
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Dept of Economics
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10163966
Downloads since deposit
41Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item