In many contests, players can influence the outcome through efforts in multiple activities, several of which can be chosen before others. In this paper, we develop a model of dynamic multi-activity contests. Players simultaneously choose efforts in long-run activities, observe each other’s...

In many contests, players can influence their chances of winning through multiple activities or "arms." We develop a simple model of multi-armed contests and axiomatize its contest success function. We then analyze the outcomes of the multi-armed contest and the effects of allowing or...

Competition for access to an underpriced good such as a free parking spot can eat up its entire surplus, eliminating the social value of the good. There is a discontinuity in social welfare between enough and not enough, with the minimum social welfare at slightly too small a parking lot because...