Multidimensional Bargains and the Desirability of Ex Post Inefficiency.

In multidimensional bargaining situations where individuals possess relevant private information, say about preferences, allocational efficiency is a central concern. Even if there is no squabbling over distribution--for example, if contingent commitments on allocations can be made before private information is secured--honest revelation comes only by sacrificing efficiency. Indeed, the incentive-compatible, second-best outcomes generally require that some allocations be off the contract curve (ex post inefficient). The potential for recontracting, by ruling out such inefficient allocations and the second-best equilibria they support, would hurt matters further. Copyright 1992 by Kluwer Academic Publishers