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Crime and Punishment: Further Reflections on the Counterintuitive Results of Mixed Equilibria Games

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  • Franz Weissing
  • Elinor Ostrom

Abstract

In a series of related articles, George Tsebelis (1989, 1990, 1991) challenges political theorists to rethink the foundations of policy analysis. His major critique of policy analyses, based on decision theory (where one individual decides in an inanimate but not certain environment) rather than on game theory (where one individual decides in an environment with other strategic individuals), has weathered the storm of commentaries made on his work. Tsebelis's argument, that payoff changes for one player do not affect the behavior of that player at a mixed-strategy equilibrium, holds in some cases but not in others. Whether changes in the payoffs of one player affect that player's behavior at a mixed-strategy equilibrium depends upon the type of linkages that exist between that player and the others in the frame or in a similar position in a game. In this note we have stated the general conditions under which changes in the payoffs of one player do not affect that player's behavior at equilibrium and when they do.

Suggested Citation

  • Franz Weissing & Elinor Ostrom, 1991. "Crime and Punishment: Further Reflections on the Counterintuitive Results of Mixed Equilibria Games," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 3(3), pages 343-350, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jothpo:v:3:y:1991:i:3:p:343-350
    DOI: 10.1177/0951692891003003006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wittman, Donald, 1985. "Counter-intuitive results in game theory," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 77-89.
    2. Jack Hirshleifer & Eric Rasmusen, 1992. "Are Equilibrium Strategies Unaffected by Incentives?," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 4(3), pages 353-367, July.
    3. George Tsebelis, 1990. "Penalty has no Impact on Crime:," Rationality and Society, , vol. 2(3), pages 255-286, July.
    4. Tsebelis, George, 1989. "The Abuse of Probability in Political Analysis: The Robinson Crusoe Fallacy," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 83(1), pages 77-91, March.
    5. Bianco, William T. & Ordeshook, Peter C. & Tsebelis, George, 1990. "Crime and Punishment: Are One-Shot, Two-Person Games Enough?," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 84(2), pages 569-586, June.
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    Cited by:

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    4. Laurent Franckx, 2004. "Penalty and Crime with Lumpy Choices," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 16(4), pages 403-421, October.

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