High Speed 2 and the logic of collective action

In a 1965 book, The Logic of Collective Action, the American economist Mancur Olson explores the impact of special interest groups on the political process.

Olson’s hypotheses are derived from what has been termed the ‘free-rider’ problem. If a consumer or worker contributes a few days or dollars to lobby for favourable legislation, he or she will have sacrificed time or money, yet that individual will, at best, succeed in advancing the cause to a small, often imperceptible, degree. It is therefore rational for the individual to let somebody else do the work, thus gaining the benefits at no cost.

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Source: http://www.iea.org.uk/blog/high-speed-2-and-the-logic-of-collective-action-0

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