Chapter 92 Endogenous Properties of Equilibrium and Disequilibrium in Spatial Committee Games

This chapter discusses that experiments demonstrate the extent to which outcomes are responsive to the structure of preferences. Where a preference-induced equilibrium exists, outcomes converge toward that equilibrium. Where a natural majority coalition exists, outcomes cluster around it. Where preferences are widely distributed, so too are outcomes. By and large, the fact that outcomes are sensitive to endogenous preferences comes as some relief. These results indicate that there is a clear patterning to outcomes and they are dependent on the preferences of actors. Rather than throwing up our hands in frustration over the impossibility of understanding basic collective choice processes, these results point to the possibility of predicting outcomes. Those theoretical constructs aim at capturing the complex relationships between preference and choices.