HETEROGENOUS DEMAND FOR PUBLIC-GOODS - BEHAVIOR IN THE VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS MECHANISM

Numerous laboratory experiments have investigated the performance of s everal processes for providing public goods through voluntary contribu tions. This research has been able to identify features of the institu tion or environment which are reliably likely to produce outcomes ''cl ose'' to the free riding outcome or ''substantially'' greater than the pessimistic prediction of standard models. One such feature is the '' marginal per-capita return'' (MPCR) front the public good. Various aut hors have altered MPCR between groups or for an entire group at the sa me time. The experiments reported here address a different question, ' 'What would happen if, within a group, some persons faced a 'high' MPC R while others faced a 'low' MPCR?''