Voluntary restrictions on self-reliance increase cooperation and mitigate wealth inequality.

ABSTRACT: Humans are considered a highly cooperative species. Through cooperation, we can tackle shared problems like climate change or pandemics and cater for shared needs like shelter, mobility, or healthcare. However, cooperation invites free-riding and can easily break down. Maybe because of this reason, societies also enable individuals to solve shared problems individually, like in the case of private healthcare plans or private retirement planning. Such "self-reliance" allows individuals to avoid problems related to public goods provision, like free-riding or underprovision, and decreases social interdependence. However, not everyone can equally afford to be self-reliant, and amid shared problems, self-reliance may lead to conflicts within groups on how to solve shared problems. In two prereg

SUBMITTER: Gross J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7682394 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature