Sebastian Galiani , Jose Manuel Paz y Miño , Gustavo Torrens
{"title":"Geopolitics and international trade infrastructure deterrence","authors":"Sebastian Galiani , Jose Manuel Paz y Miño , Gustavo Torrens","doi":"10.1016/j.jebo.2025.106996","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We develop a simple (incumbent versus entrant) strategic deterrence model to study the economic and geopolitical interactions underlying a strategic international activity, such as trade-related infrastructure projects like the Panama Canal. We study the incentives for global geopolitical players to support allied satellite countries where the strategic activity takes place or could potentially be initiated. We show that even if no effective competitor emerges, the appearance of a geopolitical challenger capable of credibly supporting the entrant has a pro-competition economic effect which benefits consumers all over the world. Thus, we provide a mechanism through which geopolitical rivalry between global powers leads to better economic outcomes for the global economy (i.e., less market power in the provision of international trade-related infrastructure). This contrasts with previous research on politics and market power which emphasizes the negative effects of political interference as well as research on international relations which often highlights the negative global effects of rising geopolitical tensions between an established power and a emerging challenger.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48409,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 106996"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167268125001167","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
We develop a simple (incumbent versus entrant) strategic deterrence model to study the economic and geopolitical interactions underlying a strategic international activity, such as trade-related infrastructure projects like the Panama Canal. We study the incentives for global geopolitical players to support allied satellite countries where the strategic activity takes place or could potentially be initiated. We show that even if no effective competitor emerges, the appearance of a geopolitical challenger capable of credibly supporting the entrant has a pro-competition economic effect which benefits consumers all over the world. Thus, we provide a mechanism through which geopolitical rivalry between global powers leads to better economic outcomes for the global economy (i.e., less market power in the provision of international trade-related infrastructure). This contrasts with previous research on politics and market power which emphasizes the negative effects of political interference as well as research on international relations which often highlights the negative global effects of rising geopolitical tensions between an established power and a emerging challenger.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization is devoted to theoretical and empirical research concerning economic decision, organization and behavior and to economic change in all its aspects. Its specific purposes are to foster an improved understanding of how human cognitive, computational and informational characteristics influence the working of economic organizations and market economies and how an economy structural features lead to various types of micro and macro behavior, to changing patterns of development and to institutional evolution. Research with these purposes that explore the interrelations of economics with other disciplines such as biology, psychology, law, anthropology, sociology and mathematics is particularly welcome.