Economist Mancur Olson suggested that interest groups tend to have a harder time getting around the free-rider problem as they grow larger because:Select one:a. leadership loses its tight control as membership increasesb. their efforts have diminishing returns as the group becomes entrenched in the political mainstreamc. people outside of the group come to see them as a corrupting influenced. individuals do not have much incentive to become active members and supporters of a group that is already more or less working on their behalf
Question
Economist Mancur Olson suggested that interest groups tend to have a harder time getting around the free-rider problem as they grow larger because:Select one:a. leadership loses its tight control as membership increasesb. their efforts have diminishing returns as the group becomes entrenched in the political mainstreamc. people outside of the group come to see them as a corrupting influenced. individuals do not have much incentive to become active members and supporters of a group that is already more or less working on their behalf
Solution
Mancur Olson, an economist, proposed that as interest groups grow in size, they face increasing difficulties in overcoming the free-rider problem. The free-rider problem refers to a situation where some individuals benefit from the efforts of a group without contributing to those efforts.
Here are the explanations for each option:
a. Leadership loses its tight control as membership increases: As a group grows larger, it becomes more difficult for the leadership to maintain control over all members. This could lead to a lack of coordination and effectiveness in the group's activities.
b. Their efforts have diminishing returns as the group becomes entrenched in the political mainstream: As a group becomes larger and more established, it may become less effective in achieving its goals. This could be due to a variety of factors, such as becoming too bureaucratic or losing focus on its original mission.
c. People outside of the group come to see them as a corrupting influence: As a group grows larger, it may be perceived as more powerful and potentially corrupt. This could lead to a backlash from the public or from other political actors.
d. Individuals do not have much incentive to become active members and supporters of a group that is already more or less working on their behalf: This is the essence of the free-rider problem. If a group is already working to achieve certain goals, individuals may not see the need to contribute to the group's efforts. They can benefit from the group's successes without having to put in any work themselves.
According to Olson's theory, option d is the most accurate. As the group grows larger, individuals may feel that their contribution is not necessary for the group to succeed, leading to a lack of active participation and support. This is the free-rider problem that larger groups tend to face.
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