The Design of an Efficient Private Industry

Government-sponsored auctions for production rights (e.g., license auctions, privatizations, etc.) shape the industry structure. Are there mechanisms that induce an efficient industry structure (at least when there are no positive costs to public funds)? The answer is "no" whenever firms have private information about both fixed and marginal costs. Our analysis also suggests that the second-best industry may either be more competitive or more monopolistic than the first-best one. These insights are in sharp contrast with the ones obtained for models where firms have one-dimensional private information, thus requiring more delicate policy recommendations. (JEL: D43, D45, D82, L1) Copyright (c) 2004 The European Economic Association.