òòò½Íø Review
ISSN 0002-8282 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7981 (Online)
The Strategy of Manipulating Conflict
òòò½Íø Review
vol. 102,
no. 6, October 2012
(pp. 2897–2922)
Abstract
Two players choose hawkish or dovish actions in a conflict game with incomplete information. An "extremist," who can either be a hawk or a dove, attempts to manipulate decision making. If actions are strategic complements, a hawkish extremist increases the likelihood of conflict, and reduces welfare, by sending a public message which triggers hawkish behavior from both players. If actions are strategic substitutes, a dovish extremist instead sends a public message which causes one player to become more dovish and the other more hawkish. A hawkish (dovish) extremist is unable to manipulate decision making if actions are strategic substitutes (complements). (JEL D74, D82)Citation
Baliga, Sandeep, and Tomas Sjöström. 2012. "The Strategy of Manipulating Conflict." òòò½Íø Review 102 (6): 2897–2922. DOI: 10.1257/aer.102.6.2897JEL Classification
- D74 Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances
- D82 Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design