Using a laboratory experiment with nested local and global public goods, we analyze the stability of global groups when … individuals have the option to separate, according to the degree of decentralization of decision-making. We show that increasing …

group of people who make a decision by voting on a proposal. An outside expert who observes the qualities of a proposal … sends a cheap talk message to decision makers with limited information. A simple cheap talk strategy of the expert can be … surprisingly effective in persuading decision makers by polarizing or unifying their opinions. When there is a significant …

We develop a model of strategic information transmission from an expert with informational superiority to decision … persuading decision makers by polarizing or unifying their opinions. After observing the expert's cheap talk message, decision … her own bias. In other words, the expert's cheap talk prevents a voting procedure from aggregating decision makers …