Essays in Microeconomic Theory

Abstract

This dissertation contains three chapters in microeconomic theory, which analyze the impact of asymmetry, information acquisition and disclosure in strategic environments, in particular in auctions and elections. In the first chapter, I analyze what kind of information agents acquire prior to participating in an auction. In the second chapter, I show how asymmetry in the distribution of budget constraints impact the equilibrium in a first-price auction. In the third chapter, a biased information designer seeks to persuade an informed committee of three voters to take her preferred action.