Political scienceLesson 2 of 3 in the course The Fundamentals of Group Political Activity

Collective Dilemmas: Decision Rules, Coordination, and Costs

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson introduces collective dilemmas and explains why making group decisions can be difficult even when people are acting in good faith.

A collective dilemma arises when two or more people need to make a plan or resolve a conflict, but they do not agree on the solution. The people involved may need to accept or comply with the decision, so disagreement can prevent the group from acting.

All flashcards

What is a collective dilemma?
A situation in which two or more people need to make a shared plan or resolve a conflict but do not agree on the solution.
What are the three main causes of collective dilemmas?
Opposing preferences, disagreement about the details of a broadly shared goal, and individual incentives that conflict with the group’s mutual interests.
What is disagreement over details?
It occurs when people broadly agree on what they want but disagree about the specific policies, methods, or steps to achieve it.
What is a collective action problem?
A collective dilemma in which members share an interest or goal, but individual incentives encourage choices that can harm the group and its members.
Why identify the cause of a group’s dilemma?
Different causes call for different responses, such as decision rules, coordination, or addressing conflicting individual incentives.

Quiz questions

  1. Under plurality voting, which option wins?Answer: The option receiving more votes than any rival.
  2. What generally happens when a proposal fails to meet the required decision threshold?Answer: The existing state of affairs generally remains in place.
  3. How do transaction costs generally change as group size or decision complexity increases?Answer: They tend to increase because more resources are needed to reach a decision.
  4. What is a common trade-off when authority is delegated to one person or a small group?Answer: Decisions can be quicker, but some members’ preferences may be less represented.
  5. What is a quorum in a group decision-making process?Answer: The minimum number of members who must be present for a vote.

Based on Introduction to Political Science by Mark Carl Rom, Masaki Hidaka, Rachel Bzostek Walker (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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