Uncertainty and ratification failure

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11127-010-9710-x

I study a game where two agents bargain on an agreement to replace the status quo. For their agreement to come into e¤ect, they need the approval of a third agent. The preferences of this third agent is private information, but there is communication among agents. I study this game in the context of international agreements to provide an explanation for involuntary rati�cation failures. I show that under certain assumptions, the informational de�ciency is incurable due to incentives to misrepresent preferences, and that a parliament whose majority is more hawkish than their executive prefers the executive to be risk averse.