Members of Congress can cause a collective action problem when they try to capitalize on the efforts of others at lower cost to themselves.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Members of Congress can sometimes prioritize their own individual interests over the collective interests of their constituents, and this can lead to a collective action problem. For example, if a member of Congress knows that a particular bill or policy proposal is popular among their constituents, they may try to "ride the coattails" of others who are already working to advance that proposal, rather than put in the effort and resources to build support from scratch. This can allow the member of Congress to benefit from the collective action of others at a lower cost to themselves, but it can also undermine the effectiveness of the overall effort by creating free riders who don't contribute as much as they should.

Members of Congress Can Cause a Collective Action Problem When