Similarity of Information and Collective Action

By Kuvalekar, A., Basak, D., Deb, J.
American Economic Review | April 2026

DOI

https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20241056

Citation

Kuvalekar, A., Basak, D., Deb, J. Similarity of Information and Collective Action (2025). American Economic Review, 116(4), 1189–1233.

Copyright

American Economic Review, April 2026

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Abstract

We study a canonical collective action game with incomplete information. Individuals attempt to coordinate to achieve a shared goal, while also facing a temptation to free-ride. More similar information can help them coordinate, but it can also exacerbate free-riding. Our main result shows that more similar information facilitates (impedes) achieving the common goal when it is sufficiently challenging (easy). We apply this insight to show why less powerful authoritarian governments may face larger protests if they restrict press freedom, when committee diversity is beneficial in costly voting, and when a more diverse community contributes more to public good provision.

Aditya Kuvalekar is a microeconomist whose primary research area is information economics. His research examines how changes in information environments shape individual and collective behavior, with applications ranging from protests and voting to interactions within organizations. A second strand of his work focuses on market design, including problems of land acquisition from groups and school choice when students have non-standard preferences. His research has been published in leading economics journals, including The American Economic Review, The RAND Journal of Economics, American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, and Journal of Economic Theory. 

Aditya
Aditya Kuvalekar