Heterogeneous beliefs, price dispersion, and welfare-improving price controls

B-Tier
Journal: Economic Theory
Year: 2001
Volume: 18
Issue: 3
Pages: 577-603

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We consider a search market model where agents have heterogeneous beliefs about the distribution of prices. A suggestive example shows that Jevon's Law of One Price and standard welfare results are not robust to small heterogeneous errors in beliefs. In particular we show that a price ceiling above marginal cost can reduce price dispersion and improve welfare (by lowering aggregate search costs) without decreasing quantity supplied. These results are broadly consistent with the empirical evidence.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:spr:joecth:v:18:y:2001:i:3:p:577-603
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-29