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A Capture Theory of Committees
1 : Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
2 : Duke Univewrsity
* : Corresponding author
Why do committees exist? The extant literature emphasizes that they pool dispersed information
across members. In this paper, we argue that they may also serve to discourage
outside influence or capture by raising its cost. As such, committees may contain members
who add no new information to the collective decision. We show that the optimal committee
is larger when outsiders have higher stakes in its decision, lower quality proposals or
more rivals, or when its members are more corruptible. We also show that keeping committee
members anonymous and accountable for their votes can help deter capture.
