Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics
Memorandum,
Oslo University, Department of Economics
No 11/2002: Battlefields and Marketplaces
Halvor Mehlum () and Karl-Ove Moene ()
Additional contact information
Halvor Mehlum: Dept. of Economics, University of Oslo, Postal: Department of Economics, University of Oslo, P.O Box 1095 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway
Karl-Ove Moene: Dept. of Economics, University of Oslo, Postal: Department of Economics, University of Oslo, P.O Box 1095 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway
Abstract: Divided societies in the developing world experience wasteful struggles for power. We study the relationship between political stability and resources wasted in the struggle within a model of competitive power contests. The model of power contests is similar in structure to models describing oligopolistic market competition. This analogy helps us in deriving results that are new to the conflict literature. We show, for example, that the Herfindahl-Hirschman index can be interpreted as a measure of power concentration and that a peace treaty between Þghting groups have a parallel in tacit collusion between firms in a market.
Keywords: Violent conflicts; Rent-seeking games; Herfindahl-Hirschman index; Oligopolistic competition
16 pages, June 16, 2003
Full text files
Memo-11-2002.pdf
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