This paper analyzes a two-stage sealed-bid auction that is frequently employed in privatization, takeover, and merger and aquisition contests. This auction format yields the same expected revenue as the open ascending (English) auction, yet is less susceptible to preemptive bidding and collusion.

We consider auction games where, prior to the auction, bidders spend resources to increase to their valuations. The market game is solved by solving an equivalent auxiliary social choice problem, We show that standard auctions are fully efficient, whereas reserve price requirements entail a...

This article studies the design of optimal mechanisms to regulate entry in natural oligopoly markets, assuming the regulator is unable to control the behaviour of firms once they are in the market. We adapt the Clark-Groves mechanism, characterize the optimal mechanism that maximizes the...