Mechanism Design Theory What it Means How it Works
Mechanism Design Theory: What it Means, How it Works
What Is Mechanism Design Theory?
Mechanism design theory is an economic theory that studies how a particular outcome or result can be achieved.
Key Takeaways
– Mechanism design theory is an economic framework for understanding optimal outcomes with self-interest and incomplete information.
– The theory is derived from game theory and considers individual incentives and motivations for the benefit of a company.
– The theory’s creators were awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2007.
Understanding Mechanism Design Theory
Mechanism design is a branch of microeconomics that explores how businesses and institutions can achieve desirable social or economic outcomes given individuals’ self-interest and incomplete information. When individuals act in their own self-interest, providing accurate information may be a challenge, creating principal-agent problems.
Mechanism design theory allows economists to analyze, compare, and potentially regulate mechanisms associated with achieving desirable outcomes. The theory considers private information and incentives to enhance economists’ understanding of market mechanisms and how the right incentives can lead to optimal outcomes.
Considerations in Mechanism Design Theory
Mechanism design theory is built on the concept of game theory, introduced by John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern in their 1944 book, "Theory of Games and Economic Behavior." Game theory studies how different entities work together competitively and cooperatively to achieve outcomes.
Mechanism design theory takes a reverse approach to game theory, focusing on understanding how entities work together to achieve a particular outcome. Both game theory and mechanism design theory analyze the influences of entities on outcomes, but mechanism design theory starts with a specific outcome and examines the process to achieve it.
Mechanism Design Theory and the Financial Markets
Mechanism design theory has a wide range of applications in managing restrictions and information control in various scenarios. One example is the use of mechanism design theory in auction markets. Regulators aim to create an efficient and orderly market, and mechanism design theory helps regulate and control information available to participants to achieve this result. Monitoring information and activity at different levels is crucial for exchanges, market makers, buyers, and sellers.
