Ordinal Simplicity and Auditability in Discrete Mechanism Design

Marek Pycia and M. Utku Ãœnver
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: M. Utku Ünver

No 18958, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: Designing mechanisms for environments without transfers, market designers usually restrict attention to ordinal mechanisms. Ordinal mechanisms are simpler for both designers and participants but miss potentially welfare-relevant information. Under what conditions focusing on ordinal mechanisms is without loss? We show that, in general, all group strategy-proof mechanisms are ordinal. All mechanisms maximizing an Arrovian social welfare function are ordinal; in a large class of environments, such Arrovian efficiency is implied by Pareto efficiency and a simple auditability condition. Strategy-proof mechanisms that are simple to audit are also ordinal. As applications, we characterize important classes of mechanisms in public choice as well as single-unit-demand and multiple-unit-demand allocation of private goods.

Date: 2024-03
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://cepr.org/publications/DP18958 (application/pdf)
CEPR Discussion Papers are free to download for our researchers, subscribers and members. If you fall into one of these categories but have trouble downloading our papers, please contact us at subscribers@cepr.org

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:18958

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from
https://cepr.org/publications/DP18958

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers Centre for Economic Policy Research, 33 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DX.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by ().