Pursuing the common goods
An economic theory of collective action among NGOs in transnational advocacy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12890750 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Christopher L Pallas (0000-0001-9323-7696, Kennesaw State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 99-122 |
| Publication date | 2019-04-03 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Civil Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1744-8689 • E-ISSN: 1744-8697 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/17448689.2019.1602332 |
| OpenAlex | W2939030850 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 37 |
This article integrates previous research on NGO behaviour with economic theory on collective action to create a generalizable and predictive model of advocacy campaign growth. It identifies three types of goods which NGOs may pursue in advocacy: unlimited, non-rival (public) goods; rival and excludable (private) goods; and rival but non-excludable goods. It then models an individual NGO’s decision to (not) join an existing advocacy campaign using a cost-benefit analysis conditioned by the presence or absence of competition for the good(s) sought by the NGO. This model of individual behaviour forms the basis for predicting collective action among NGOs with varying cost structures and pursuing a variety of rival and non-rival goods. The theory is illustrated using two cases of NGOs campaigning on World Bank policy
Action (physics · Business · Civil society · Collective action · Competition (biology · Economics · Excludability · Free rider problem · Law and economics · Microeconomics · Political science · Politics · Private good · Public economics · Public good · Variety (cybernetics · International Development and Aid · Law · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Social Capital and Networks
The World's Banker
The Marketing of Rebellion
Lost Causes
Theories of the Policy Process
Activists beyond Borders
Advocacy Organizations and Collective Action
The Authority Trap
"Lost" Causes
The Logic of Collective Action
Why do activists lobby institutions that have already reformed? Modelling target selection and learning in NGO advocacy
Accountability Gone Wrong
The Ottawa Convention banning landmines, the role of international non-governmental organizations and the idea of international civil society
How Successful Transnational Non-governmental Organizations Set Themselves up for Failure on the Ground
Collaborative Propensities Among Transnational NGOs Registered in the United States
Conserving nature in the state of nature
The NGO Scramble
Impure Altruism and Donations to Public Goods
The Paradox of Group Size in Collective Action
Activists beyond borders
Humanitarianism Transformed
Setting the Advocacy Agenda
Globalization and the changing logic of collective action
Mission and Interests
Collective Action and the Evolution of Social Norms
Personal Influence, Collective Rationality, and Mass Political Action
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |