Uncertain Paternity, Mating Market Failure, and the Institution of Marriage

摘要: This paper provides a first microeconomic foundation for the institution of marriage. Based on model reproduction, mating, and parental investment in children, we argue that marriage serves purpose attenuating risk mating market failure arises from incomplete information individual paternity. Raising costs to individuals, circumscribes female infidelity mate poaching among men, which reduces average levels paternal uncertainty society. A direct gain male utility, latter induces men invest more their putative offspring, fact benefits women because public good nature children. Able realize Pareto improvements, as an is hence explained result societal consensus need organize structure behavior reproduction society benefit certainty biparental offspring.