Complete Characterization of Functions Satisfying the Conditions of Arrow's Theorem

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Penn collection
Statistics Papers
Degree type
Discipline
Subject
Statistics and Probability
Funder
Grant number
License
Copyright date
Distributor
Related resources
Author
Mossel, Elchanan
Tamuz, Omer
Contributor
Abstract

Arrow’s theorem implies that a social welfare function satisfying Transitivity, the Weak Pareto Principle (Unanimity), and Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA) must be dictatorial. When non-strict preferences are also allowed, a dictatorial social welfare function is defined as a function for which there exists a single voter whose strict preferences are followed. This definition allows for many different dictatorial functions, since non-strict preferences of the dictator are not necessarily followed. In particular, we construct examples of dictatorial functions which do not satisfy Transitivity and IIA. Thus Arrow’s theorem, in the case of non-strict preferences, does not provide a complete characterization of all social welfare functions satisfying Transitivity, the Weak Pareto Principle, and IIA. The main results of this article provide such a characterization for Arrow’s theorem, as well as for follow up results by Wilson. In particular, we strengthen Arrow’s and Wilson’s result by giving an exact if and only if condition for a function to satisfy Transitivity and IIA (and the Weak Pareto Principle). Additionally, we derive formulae for the number of functions satisfying these conditions.

Advisor
Date Range for Data Collection (Start Date)
Date Range for Data Collection (End Date)
Digital Object Identifier
Series name and number
Publication date
2012-06-01
Journal title
Social Choice and Welfare
Volume number
Issue number
Publisher
Publisher DOI
Journal Issue
Comments
At the time of publication, author Elchanan Mossel was affiliated with University of California, Berkeley. Currently, he is a faculty member at the Statistics Department at the University of Pennsylvania.
Recommended citation
Collection