Closely linked to the Tragedy of the Commons (ToC), the Problem of Collective Action (PCA) sheds light on why ToCs are so difficult to resolve. Here, the PCA points out psychosocial reasons for our failure as a community to resolve ToCs satisfactorily. The PCA, hailed as the central problem to social life, begins from the observation that most social issues require coordinated collective action instead of uncoordinated individual action.
Source: https://interactions.acm.org/archive/view/january-february-2017/design-through-collective-action-collective-action-through-design
According to Frederick Mayer (2014), the PCA can be broken down into three sub-issues:
- Free-riding;
- Coordination; and,
- Assurance.
More fundamentally, too, these issues are only issues inasmuch as the community in question is aware of their common interests. Should members of a community fail to recognise common interests towards which they should work, then we cannot reasonably expect these members to work collectively towards a shared goal.
For the purpose of this page, however, let is provisionally accept that members of our communities are aware of our common interests. Indeed, I shall take as uncontentious that the preservation of our planet is a shared interest towards which we shall reasonably endeavour. From the arguments laid out in this blog, I shall also take as uncontentious that a growing population is a threat to the shared interest that is preservation of our planet.