On sharing: a preface to an economic theory of voluntary action
1991
Wagner, A.
This article constitutes a preface to an economic foundation of a theory of the voluntary sector--the share economy. The paper is divided into four sections. The first section is concerned with sharing as an alternative mode of interaction in a society, differing from two-way exchange and one-way transfer transactions and constituting an important element in building up communities. The analysis emphasizes the importance of certain types of goods requiring sharing. The characteristics of these goods, which are referred to here as collective goods, are explored in the second section. The third section shows that, from the point of view of social and economic efficiency, the production of collective goods will have to be assumed at least partially by a special economic sector termed the voluntary sector. Therefore, the voluntary sector and the transaction of sharing play a significant role in the allocation of resources comparable to the role assumed by the institutions of the market (exchange sector) and government (transfer sector). A concluding remark discusses some political ramifications of the economy of the voluntary sector.
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