Mancur olson’s collective action theory 50 years later. A view from the institutionalist perspective

Abstract

This essay is a tribute paid to one of the most distinguished landmarks in social theory – Mancur Olson’s The Logic of Collective Action, which has recently turned 50 years old. We look at it as a specific stage in the debate that takes place in social sciences. In 1965 it was path-breaking due to the use of economic reasoning applied to social phenomena, but today the very same method of analysis is being challenged by institutionalist thought. This is, however, the way that social sciences evolve and Olson’s theory is no exception. The very assumptions employed by Olson are being questioned nowadays with respect to their compliance with reality and proper depiction of incentives that drive human behaviour. Nonetheless, it still remains a milestone in the process of recognizing the mechanisms governing collective actions.