Two essays in social choice theory

Abstract

Solution concepts which implement only monotonic social choice rules are characterized in terms of a new notion of monotonicity pertaining to solution concepts. For any given class G of mechanisms, it turns out that a solution concept a implements only monotonic social choice rules via mechanisms in G if and only if a is G-monotonic. Moreover, with each solution concept a, we associate a class G^ of mechanisms such that each a-implementable onto social choice function which takes on at least three different values is dictatorial if and only if a is Go-monotonic. Oligarchic social choice rules are characterized by the conjunction of unanimity and a monotonicity condition, oligarchic monotonicity, which is stronger than Maskin monotonicity. Given an oligarchic social choice rule, the coalition acting as the oligarchy turns out to be the minimal set T of agents such that the social choice mle is Maskin monotonic when the restriction of each profile to T is considered. Finally, the solution concepts which implement only oligarchic social choice rules are characterized in terms of oligarchic monotonicity modified for solution concepts.