The Economist Who Solved the Free-Rider Problem

The Economist Who Solved the Free-Rider Problem

Defenders of capitalism argue that cooperation is undermined by individuals’ tendency to take more from society than they contribute. The economist Elinor Ostrom refuted this idea, but without identifying capitalism as the real cause of exploitation. Elinor Ostrom speaking at a conference in New Delhi, India, on January 5, 2011. (Raveendran / AFP via Getty Images) Socialist arguments that cooperation and collective action represent the basis of…