Venture capital finances high-risk, high-return projects. In addition to financing, venture capitalists provide advice and expertise in management, commercialization, and development that enhance the value, success, and marketability of projects. Venture capitalists also have skills in selecting projects with potentially high returns. The first chapter investigates the contracting relationship between venture capitalists and entrepreneurs in a setting where the venture capitalist and entrepreneur contribute intangible assets (advice and effort) to a project that are non-contractible and non-verifiable. In general, in the private market equilibrium, advice provided by the venture capitalist and the number of projects funded are lower than the social optimum. Government tax and investment policies may alleviate these market failures. The impact of a capital gains tax, a tax on entrepreneur’s revenue, an investment subsidy to venture capitalists, and government run project enhancing programs are evaluated. Finally, we analyze the effects of a government venture capital firm competing with private venture capital. The second chapter focuses on competition in venture capital markets. We model a three-stage game of fund raising, investment in innovative projects and input of advice and effort, where fund raising is used as an entry deterrence mechanism. We examine the impacts of taxes and subsidies on venture capital market structure. We find that a tax on venture capitalist revenue and a tax on entrepreneur revenue increase the likelihood of entry deterrence and reduce the number of projects funded in equilibrium. A subsidy on investment reduces the likelihood of entry deterrence and increases the number of projects funded. The third chapter examines the venture capitalist's choice of investment in project selection skills and investment in managerial advice. We model, separately, a private venture capitalist and a labour-sponsored venture capitalist (LSVCC) with different objectives. A LSVCC is a special type of venture capitalist fund that is sponsored by a labour union. The private venture capitalist maximizes its expected profits, while the LSVCC maximizes a weighted function of expected profits and returns to labour. Consistent with empirical evidence, the quality of projects, determined by project selection skills and managerial advice, is higher for the private venture capitalist.

Venture capital finances high-risk, high-return projects. In addition to financing, venture capitalists provide advice and expertise in management, commercialization, and development that enhance the value, success, and marketability of projects. Venture capitalists also have skills in selecting projects with potentially high returns. The first chapter investigates the contracting relationship between venture capitalists and entrepreneurs in a setting where the venture capitalist and entrepreneur contribute intangible assets (advice and effort) to a project that are non-contractible and non-verifiable. In general, in the private market equilibrium, advice provided by the venture capitalist and the number of projects funded are lower than the social optimum. Government tax and investment policies may alleviate these market failures. The impact of a capital gains tax, a tax on entrepreneur’s revenue, an investment subsidy to venture capitalists, and government run project enhancing programs are evaluated. Finally, we analyze the effects of a government venture capital firm competing with private venture capital. The second chapter focuses on competition in venture capital markets. We model a three-stage game of fund raising, investment in innovative projects and input of advice and effort, where fund raising is used as an entry deterrence mechanism. We examine the impacts of taxes and subsidies on venture capital market structure. We find that a tax on venture capitalist revenue and a tax on entrepreneur revenue increase the likelihood of entry deterrence and reduce the number of projects funded in equilibrium. A subsidy on investment reduces the likelihood of entry deterrence and increases the number of projects funded. The third chapter examines the venture capitalist's choice of investment in project selection skills and investment in managerial advice. We model, separately, a private venture capitalist and a labour-sponsored venture capitalist (LSVCC) with different objectives. A LSVCC is a special type of venture capitalist fund that is sponsored by a labour union. The private venture capitalist maximizes its expected profits, while the LSVCC maximizes a weighted function of expected profits and returns to labour. Consistent with empirical evidence, the quality of projects, determined by project selection skills and managerial advice, is higher for the private venture capitalist.

Venture capital finances high-risk, high-return projects. In addition to financing, venture capitalists provide advice and expertise in management, commercialization, and development that enhance the value, success, and marketability of projects. Venture capitalists also have skills in selecting projects with potentially high returns. The first chapter investigates the contracting relationship between venture capitalists and entrepreneurs in a setting where the venture capitalist and entrepreneur contribute intangible assets (advice and effort) to a project that are non-contractible and non-verifiable. In general, in the private market equilibrium, advice provided by the venture capitalist and the number of projects funded are lower than the social optimum. Government tax and investment policies may alleviate these market failures. The impact of a capital gains tax, a tax on entrepreneur’s revenue, an investment subsidy to venture capitalists, and government run project enhancing programs are evaluated. Finally, we analyze the effects of a government venture capital firm competing with private venture capital. The second chapter focuses on competition in venture capital markets. We model a three-stage game of fund raising, investment in innovative projects and input of advice and effort, where fund raising is used as an entry deterrence mechanism. We examine the impacts of taxes and subsidies on venture capital market structure. We find that a tax on venture capitalist revenue and a tax on entrepreneur revenue increase the likelihood of entry deterrence and reduce the number of projects funded in equilibrium. A subsidy on investment reduces the likelihood of entry deterrence and increases the number of projects funded. The third chapter examines the venture capitalist's choice of investment in project selection skills and investment in managerial advice. We model, separately, a private venture capitalist and a labour-sponsored venture capitalist (LSVCC) with different objectives. A LSVCC is a special type of venture capitalist fund that is sponsored by a labour union. The private venture capitalist maximizes its expected profits, while the LSVCC maximizes a weighted function of expected profits and returns to labour. Consistent with empirical evidence, the quality of projects, determined by project selection skills and managerial advice, is higher for the private venture capitalist.

Venture capital finances high-risk, high-return projects. In addition to financing, venture capitalists provide advice and expertise in management, commercialization, and development that enhance the value, success, and marketability of projects. Venture capitalists also have skills in selecting projects with potentially high returns. The first chapter investigates the contracting relationship between venture capitalists and entrepreneurs in a setting where the venture capitalist and entrepreneur contribute intangible assets (advice and effort) to a project that are non-contractible and non-verifiable. In general, in the private market equilibrium, advice provided by the venture capitalist and the number of projects funded are lower than the social optimum. Government tax and investment policies may alleviate these market failures. The impact of a capital gains tax, a tax on entrepreneur’s revenue, an investment subsidy to venture capitalists, and government run project enhancing programs are evaluated. Finally, we analyze the effects of a government venture capital firm competing with private venture capital. The second chapter focuses on competition in venture capital markets. We model a three-stage game of fund raising, investment in innovative projects and input of advice and effort, where fund raising is used as an entry deterrence mechanism. We examine the impacts of taxes and subsidies on venture capital market structure. We find that a tax on venture capitalist revenue and a tax on entrepreneur revenue increase the likelihood of entry deterrence and reduce the number of projects funded in equilibrium. A subsidy on investment reduces the likelihood of entry deterrence and increases the number of projects funded. The third chapter examines the venture capitalist's choice of investment in project selection skills and investment in managerial advice. We model, separately, a private venture capitalist and a labour-sponsored venture capitalist (LSVCC) with different objectives. A LSVCC is a special type of venture capitalist fund that is sponsored by a labour union. The private venture capitalist maximizes its expected profits, while the LSVCC maximizes a weighted function of expected profits and returns to labour. Consistent with empirical evidence, the quality of projects, determined by project selection skills and managerial advice, is higher for the private venture capitalist.

Os analistas que se limitam a entender a dinâmica do Setor Elétrico Brasileiro (SEB) com base em estudos técnicos e econômicos deixam de incorporar a seus modelos a força dos fenômenos políticos que também o influenciam. Com receitas anuais superiores a R$110 bilhões (US$ 50 bilhões) em 2005 e uma configuração institucional intrincada, este setor da economia sempre foi fortemente marcado por forças políticas. Para dar um tratamento mais estruturado a tais forças, adota-se como ferramenta analítica a Teoria de Grupos de Pressão desenvolvida por Gary S. Becker, prêmio Nobel de Economia em 1992. Esta teoria expressa a competição entre grupos pela influência política que os mesmos são capazes de exercer e que, em última análise, resulta em benefícios econômicos, representados no modelo de Becker pela diminuição de impostos pagos ou aumento de subsídios recebidos. Este trabalho tem dois objetivos principais: propor uma metodologia de análise de uso político no SEB com base na Teoria de Grupos de Pressão e, pelo estudo de dois casos, examinar hipóteses de uso político no SEB. O primeiro caso observa a evolução de impostos e encargos sobre a tarifa de eletricidade e demonstra como o setor foi crescentemente usado por grupos de pressão política como fonte eficiente de arrecadação de recursos. O segundo caso analisa as regras e resultados de um leilão de energia promovido pelo governo brasileiro e discute hipóteses sobre o impacto de decisões políticas sobre os comportamentos dos competidores. / The analists who explain the dynamics of the Brazilian Electricity Sector (BES) based exclusively on technical and economic studies forego the impact of the political phenomena which also influence this Sector, a sector defined by an intricate institutional framework and which, in 2005, generated over US$ 50 billion in revenues. This configuration has historically made the BES a target for political forces. In order to study such forces in a more structured way, the author adopted as an analytical tool the Pressure Groups Theory developed by Gary S. Becker, Economics Nobel prize winner in 1992. This theory defines the competition between groups by the political influence which such groups are able to exert and which, ultimately, result in economic benefits, represented in Becker´s model by the decrease in taxes paid and by the increase in subsidies received. This document has two main objectives: propose a methodology – based on the Pressure Groups Theory – for the analysis of political use in the BES and, via the study of two cases, examine hypotheses of political use in the BES. The first case observes the evolution of taxes and other subsidies included in the electricity tariff and demonstrates how the sector has increasingly been used by political pressure groups as an efficient source of resources. The second case analyses the rules and results of an energy auction organized by the Brazilian government and discusses hypotheses about the impact of political decisions on the behavior of competitors.

Os analistas que se limitam a entender a dinâmica do Setor Elétrico Brasileiro (SEB) com base em estudos técnicos e econômicos deixam de incorporar a seus modelos a força dos fenômenos políticos que também o influenciam. Com receitas anuais superiores a R$110 bilhões (US$ 50 bilhões) em 2005 e uma configuração institucional intrincada, este setor da economia sempre foi fortemente marcado por forças políticas. Para dar um tratamento mais estruturado a tais forças, adota-se como ferramenta analítica a Teoria de Grupos de Pressão desenvolvida por Gary S. Becker, prêmio Nobel de Economia em 1992. Esta teoria expressa a competição entre grupos pela influência política que os mesmos são capazes de exercer e que, em última análise, resulta em benefícios econômicos, representados no modelo de Becker pela diminuição de impostos pagos ou aumento de subsídios recebidos. Este trabalho tem dois objetivos principais: propor uma metodologia de análise de uso político no SEB com base na Teoria de Grupos de Pressão e, pelo estudo de dois casos, examinar hipóteses de uso político no SEB. O primeiro caso observa a evolução de impostos e encargos sobre a tarifa de eletricidade e demonstra como o setor foi crescentemente usado por grupos de pressão política como fonte eficiente de arrecadação de recursos. O segundo caso analisa as regras e resultados de um leilão de energia promovido pelo governo brasileiro e discute hipóteses sobre o impacto de decisões políticas sobre os comportamentos dos competidores. / The analists who explain the dynamics of the Brazilian Electricity Sector (BES) based exclusively on technical and economic studies forego the impact of the political phenomena which also influence this Sector, a sector defined by an intricate institutional framework and which, in 2005, generated over US$ 50 billion in revenues. This configuration has historically made the BES a target for political forces. In order to study such forces in a more structured way, the author adopted as an analytical tool the Pressure Groups Theory developed by Gary S. Becker, Economics Nobel prize winner in 1992. This theory defines the competition between groups by the political influence which such groups are able to exert and which, ultimately, result in economic benefits, represented in Becker´s model by the decrease in taxes paid and by the increase in subsidies received. This document has two main objectives: propose a methodology – based on the Pressure Groups Theory – for the analysis of political use in the BES and, via the study of two cases, examine hypotheses of political use in the BES. The first case observes the evolution of taxes and other subsidies included in the electricity tariff and demonstrates how the sector has increasingly been used by political pressure groups as an efficient source of resources. The second case analyses the rules and results of an energy auction organized by the Brazilian government and discusses hypotheses about the impact of political decisions on the behavior of competitors.