The theoretical literature on collusion in auctions suggests that the first-price mechanism can deter the formation of … likely to affect the bidding behavior in first-price (but not second-price) auctions. We test experimentally a setup in which … collusion in first-price and second-price auctions. Furthermore, failed collusion attempts distort the bidding behavior in the …

Using a sample of 680 and 1,300 judicial and private auctions respectively, we analyze the effect on the wealth of … those the law is intended to protect of different regulations applicable to each type of auctions. We find that consistent … with a simple economic model, Courts assign judicial auctions in a discretional manner, and that the assigned auctioneers …