Essays in Applied Microeconomics
b'This thesis consists of 4 chapters in the field of applied microeconomics.\\nChapter 1 develops a model of international roaming. International alliances emerge endogenously and serve as a commitment device to soften competition on the retail market.\\nChapter 2 provides an explanation for why political leaders may want to adopt ideological positions. Because voters expect the perceived ideology of office holders to determine their future political actions, politicians are tempted to act according to their ideology.\\nChapter 3 analyzes a procurement problem in which two specialized agents compete for selling a good. The optimal procurement scheme trades off increasing the buyer\\u2019s chances to obtain a suitable product against reducing the sellers\\u2019 rents.\\nChapter 4 compares certification to a minimum quality standard (MQS) policy when some consumers cannot discern the quality of the offered goods. Depending on the proportion of informed customers, either instrument may be preferred.'