Econometrica

Journal Of The Econometric Society

An International Society for the Advancement of Economic
Theory in its Relation to Statistics and Mathematics

Edited by: Guido W. Imbens • Print ISSN: 0012-9682 • Online ISSN: 1468-0262

Econometrica: Jul, 2010, Volume 78, Issue 4

Incentive Problems With Unidimensional Hidden Characteristics: A Unified Approach

https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA7726
p. 1201-1237

Martin F. Hellwig

This paper develops a technique for studying incentive problems with unidimensional hidden characteristics in a way that is independent of whether the type set is finite, the type distribution has a continuous density, or the type distribution has both mass points and an atomless part. By this technique, the proposition that optimal incentive schemes induce no distortion “at the top” and downward distortions “below the top” is extended to arbitrary type distributions. However, mass points in the interior of the type set require pooling with adjacent higher types and, unless there are other complications, a discontinuous jump in the transition from adjacent lower types.


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Supplemental Material

Supplement to "Incentive Problems with Unidimensional Hidden Characteristics: A Unified Approach"

This appendix provides formal proofs of Lemmas 2.7-2.9 in the text of the paper.

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