Free Riders

Here's a quick run-down of how democracy works.

Someone makes a law that says "people cannot wear silly hats," and everyone loves it.  No longer will anyone roam the streets with unrelated headwear in the presence of the citizenry.  Everyone loves it, except the Silly Hats Crew.

Oh, no, they hate it.

They're going to lobby for change.  They'll run around the city setting up bake sales and putting posters on trucks, they'll throw eggs at the mayor's house.  And sooner or later, they start getting arrested; some for misconduct, some for public nay-saying.  Others for wearing silly hats.

But there's a good percentage of them that stay silent.  These are known as Free Riders.  They watch as their interest group hashes itself over for the right to wear silly hats, and they're simply on the sidelines.  Maybe it's apathy?  Maybe.

Logically speaking, it doesn't make any sense to join a movement.  One can simply wait and reap the rewards when everyone else joins.  Of course, if everyone follows this logic, there's an issue: the movement never occurs.  This is the Free Rider Problem.

Historically, some groups have fought this issue by creating incentives for members.  Some labor unionists get free transportation for lobbying.  Others get more power in the group's structure.

This is prominent in virtually every movement in modern times.  Look at, say, the Occupy Wall Street movement.  It's possible that you may be against the economic climate of today's world, but there's no reason to protest when everyone else is going to be doing that for you.  And if a good percentage, say, 30%, of people think this way, then you get a massive decline in participation that kills the collective interest.

OH NO SCALE: OH NO