---
type: source
title: "The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups"
author: "Mancur Olson"
url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Logic_of_Collective_Action
date: 1965-01-01
domain: cultural-dynamics
format: book
status: processed
processed_by: clay
processed_date: 2026-03-08
claims_extracted:
  - "collective action fails by default because rational individuals free-ride on group efforts when they cannot be excluded from benefits regardless of contribution"
tags: [collective-action, free-rider, public-goods, political-economy]
---

# The Logic of Collective Action

Canonical political economy text establishing that rational self-interest leads to collective action failure in large groups. Foundational for mechanism design, governance theory, and coordination infrastructure analysis.