In this dissertation I study theories on auctions with participation costs withvarious information structure.Chapter II studies equilibria of second price auctions with differentiated participationcosts. We consider equilibria in independent private values environments wherebidders? entry costs...

This paper develops a theory to explain the Easterlin Paradox, which holds that average happiness levels do not necessarily increase as countries grow wealthier, by analyzing the different roles of income and non-income factors in promoting happiness. Our theory shows that happiness rises with...

A challenge facing labor economists is to explain the existence of different wage-setting mechanisms. This paper investigates the relative efficiency of competitive wage, wage bargaining and wage posting. In a search-theoretical model with human capital investment we establish the conditions,...

This paper discusses the fundamentals required for successful reform, i.e., the necessary institutional changes required to make a nation grow sustainably wealthier. It argues that enriching the people is a prerequisite for a prosperous nation and further reveals the inherent logic behind the...

China¡¯s economy is currently at a crossroad leading to two different directions. One is to further deepen the reform, concentrate on crucial aspects and relax control over details, govern by non-intervention and let the market play an increasing role and lead the economy; while the other is...

The authors of this article implement a quasi-experimental strategy to estimate peer effects in economic education by exploiting the institutional setting in a large public university in China, where roommates are randomly assigned conditional on a student's major and province of origin. They...

The ¡°middle income trap¡± is a significant theoretical and practical issue closely related to the economic and social transition and sustainable development of a country. This paper explores the essence of the ¡°middle income trap¡± and ways to avoid it. It reveals that the inner nature...

The transition of countries with centrally planned economies to a market orientation, which affects about one-third of the world's population, has been an unavoidable reality in recent years. The world and U.S. have a large scale stake in the former Eastern Bloc countries and China whether they...