Competitive Pooling: Rothschild-Stiglitz Reconsidered

S-Tier
Journal: Quarterly Journal of Economics
Year: 2002
Volume: 117
Issue: 4
Pages: 1529-1570

Authors (2)

Pradeep Dubey (Stony Brook University - SUNY) John Geanakoplos (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

4.036 = (α=2.02 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

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

Abstract

We build a model of competitive pooling, which incorporates adverse selection and signaling into general equilibrium. Pools are characterized by their quantity limits on contributions. Households signal their reliability by choosing which pool to join. In equilibrium, pools with lower quantity limits sell for a higher price, even though each household's deliveries are the same at all pools. The Rothschild-Stiglitz model of insurance is included as a special case. We show that by recasting their hybrid oligopolistic-competitive story in our perfectly competitive framework, their separating equilibrium always exists (even when they say it does not) and is unique.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:qjecon:v:117:y:2002:i:4:p:1529-1570
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25