Which of the following was not given as an example of the collective action/free rider problem?
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journal article Institutions and the Free Rider: The Assurance Problem in Collective ActionThe Journal of Politics Vol. 46, No. 1 (Feb., 1984) , pp. 154-181 (28 pages) Published By: The University of Chicago Press https://doi.org/10.2307/2130438 https://www.jstor.org/stable/2130438 Read and download Log in through your school or library Alternate access options For independent researchers Read Online Read 100 articles/month free Subscribe to JPASS Unlimited reading + 10 downloads Purchase article $14.00 - Download now and later Abstract Political and economic theory make extensive use of the one-period Prisoners' Dilemma (PD) to model public goods problems and collective action generally. While the PD provides important insights into the breakdown of social institutions, it gives no explanation of how or why institutions are developed in the first place. Recent work on repeated PDs has emphasized the role of expectations in this process. This paper presents a related approach: the Assurance Problem (AP). The AP suggests that interdependent choice creates incentives to establish and maintain institutions that coordinate expectations based on rules of fair-mindedness. With such coordinated expectations, voluntary contributions to public goods may be utility-maximizing strategies. Journal Information Current issues are now on the Chicago Journals website. Read the latest issue. Established in 1939 and published for the Southern Political Science Association, The Journal of Politics is a leading general-interest journal of political science and the oldest regional political science journal in the United States. The scholarship published in The Journal of Politics is theoretically innovative and methodologically diverse, and comprises a blend of the various intellectual approaches that make up the discipline. The Journal of Politics features balanced treatments of research from scholars around the world, in all subfields of political science including American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and political methodology. Publisher Information Since its origins in 1890 as one of the three main divisions of the University of Chicago, The University of Chicago Press has embraced as its mission the obligation to disseminate scholarship of the highest standard and to publish serious works that promote education, foster public understanding, and enrich cultural life. Today, the Journals Division publishes more than 70 journals and hardcover serials, in a wide range of academic disciplines, including the social sciences, the humanities, education, the biological and medical sciences, and the physical sciences. Rights & Usage
This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Benefiting from a common resource without paying for it What is a Free Rider?A free rider is a person who benefits from something without expending effort or paying for it. In other words, free riders are those who utilize goods without paying for their use. The Free Rider ProblemThe free rider problem is an economic concept of a market failure that occurs when people are benefiting from resources, goods, or services that they do not pay for. If there are too many free riders, the resources, goods, or services may be overprovided. Therefore, this would create a free rider problem. The problem is commonly seen with public goods (goods with non-excludable benefits). Examples of the Free Rider ProblemHere are two examples of the free rider problem: Example 1 John builds a lighthouse on the coast to serve as a navigational aid. As a result, all sailors are now able to benefit from the lighthouse even if they are not paying towards its upkeep. There is no profit incentive for John to maintain the lighthouse, as he is the only person contributing to its upkeep. Example 2 Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia, faces a free rider problem. Hundreds of millions of people use Wikipedia every month but only a tiny fraction of users pay to use it. A large majority of Wikipedia users do not pay to use the site but are able to benefit from the information provided by the website. Public Goods and the Free Rider ProblemPublic goods commonly face a free rider problem due to the two characteristics of a public good:
Examples of public goods include:
Public goods create a free rider problem because consumers are able to utilize public goods without paying for them. Understanding Why People are Free Riders Through a Prisoner’s Dilemma GameThe free rider problem can be illustrated through a prisoner’s dilemma game. Imagine there are two people, Tom and Adel, who are considering a contribution to a public good. The personal cost of contributing is $6 and the benefit of the contribution is $10. It is a good idea for society as a whole, as the benefit is greater than the cost (each person contributing $6 would receive a benefit of $10). However, individuals see an incentive to free ride as the benefit of this public good is freely available among the members of society. Notes:
In the prisoner’s dilemma game above, we can see that both Tom and Adel would attempt to free ride (not contribute). The rationale is as follows: if Adel thinks that Tom will not contribute, she would lose $1 for contributing. On the other hand, if Adel thinks that Tom will contribute, she would gain more by not contributing. Therefore, both people would come to the conclusion that it would be unwise to contribute. The public good, therefore, does not get built and thus a free rider problem is created. Possible Solutions to the ProblemThere are several possible solutions to the free rider problem: 1. TaxesBy requiring all consumers to pay taxes, there would be no free riders. For example, the cost of national defense in the United Kingdom is over $30 billion. By requiring everyone to pay taxes, the cost of national defense can be sustained. As taxes are paid by everyone, there would be no free riders. Also, the benefit would be enjoyed by everyone. (Think about the example above: If Tom and Adel were required to contribute to the public good, the public good would be built and they would both enjoy a net gain of $4). 2. Making a public good privateIf a public good can be limited (requiring a payment to consume the good), there would be no free riders. 3. Soliciting donationsSoliciting donations is only effective for low-cost public goods. The voluntary donations by consumers could make up for the free riders. For example: asking for donations in a garden or museum. Although there would still be free riders, the donation amounts would help cover the cost of the garden/museum. Other ResourcesThank you for reading CFI’s guide to Free Rider. To advance your career, these additional CFI resources will be helpful:
Is free riding a collective action problem?The free-rider problem occurs wherever there is a collective good giving nonexcludability. Nonexcludability entails the free-rider problem because a person can enjoy the benefits of the good without having to pay for it (as long, of course, as the good is provided).
What is the freethe free rider problem is a market failure that occurs when people take advantage of being able to use a common resource, or collective good, without paying for it, as is the case when citizens of a country utilize public goods without paying their fair share in taxes.
What is a collective action problem quizlet?collective action problem. A situation in which the members of a group would benefit by working together to produce some outcome, but each individual is better off refusing to cooperate and reaping benefits from those who do the work.
What is free riding quizlet?Free riding. The practice of relying on others to contribute to a collective effort. *failing to participate, but still benefitting.
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