Document Type
Discussion Paper
Publication Date
12-1-1996
CFDP Number
1142
CFDP Pages
24
Abstract
We generalize the War of Attrition model to allow for N + K firms competing for N prizes. Two special cases are of particular interest. First, if firms continue to pay their full costs after dropping out (as in a standard-setting context), each firm’s exit time is independent both of K and of the actions of other players. Second, in the limit in which firms pay no costs after dropping out (as in a natural-oligopoly problem), the field is immediately reduced to N + 1 firms. Furthermore, we have perfect sorting, so it is always the K -1 lowest-value players who drop out in zero time, even though each player’s value is private information to the player. We apply our model to politics, explaining the length of time it takes to collect a winning coalition to pass a bill
Recommended Citation
Bulow, Jeremy I. and Klemperer, Paul D., "The Generalized War of Attrition" (1996). Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers. 1390.
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/cowles-discussion-paper-series/1390