what is the free rider problem 
the free rider problem is the burden on a shared resource that is created by its use or overuse by people who aren t paying their fair share for it or aren t paying anything at all the free rider problem can occur in any community large or small in an urban area a city council may debate whether and how to force suburban commuters to contribute to the upkeep of its roads and sidewalks or the protection of its police and fire services a public radio or broadcast station devotes airtime to fundraising in hopes of coaxing donations from listeners who aren t contributing understanding the free rider problemthe free rider problem is an issue in economics it is considered an example of a market failure that is it is an inefficient distribution of goods or services that occurs when some individuals are allowed to consume more than their fair share of the shared resource or pay less than their fair share of the costs free riding prevents the production and consumption of goods and services through conventional free market methods to the free rider there is little incentive to contribute to a collective resource since they can enjoy its benefits even if they don t as a consequence the producer of the resource cannot be sufficiently compensated the shared resource must be subsidized in some other way or it will not be created 