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On mechanisms eliciting ordinal preferences

Author

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  • Carroll, Gabriel

    (Department of Economics, Stanford University)

Abstract

When is a mechanism designer justified in only asking for ordinal information about preferences? Simple examples show that, even if the planner's goal (expressed by a social choice correspondence, or SCC) depends only on ordinal information, eliciting cardinal information may help with incentives. However, if agents may be uncertain about their own cardinal preferences, then a strong robustness requirement can justify the focus on ordinal mechanisms. Specifically, when agents' preferences over pure outcomes are strict, if a planner is able to implement an SCC (in ex-post equilibrium) using a mechanism that is robust to interdependence of arbitrary form in cardinal preferences, then there must exist such a mechanism that elicits only ordinal preferences. The strictness assumption can be dropped if we further allow the possibility of non-expected-utility preferences.

Suggested Citation

  • Carroll, Gabriel, 2018. "On mechanisms eliciting ordinal preferences," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 13(3), September.
    • Handle: RePEc:the:publsh:2774
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ehlers, Lars & Majumdar, Dipjyoti & Mishra, Debasis & Sen, Arunava, 2020. "Continuity and incentive compatibility in cardinal mechanisms," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 31-41.
    2. Eric van Damme & Xu Lang, 2022. "Two-Person Bargaining when the Disagreement Point is Private Information," Papers 2211.06830, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2024.
    3. Caterina Calsamiglia & Francisco Martínez-Mora & Antonio Miralles, 2021. "Random assignments and outside options," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 57(3), pages 557-566, October.
    4. Caterina Calsamiglia & Francisco Martinez-Mora & Antonio Miralles, 2020. "Cardinal Assignment Mechanisms: Money Matters More than it Should," Working Papers 1150, Barcelona School of Economics.
    5. Li, Mengling, 2020. "Ties matter: Improving efficiency in course allocation by allowing ties," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 354-384.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cardinal extension; ex-post implementation; interdependence; ordinal mechanism; robust mechanism design;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design

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