A free rider, in the broad sense of the term, is anyone who enjoys a benefit provided, probably unwittingly, by others. In the narrow sense, a free rider is someone who receives the benefits of a cooperative venture without contributing to the...

In economics, collective bargaining, psychology and political science, free riders are actors who consume more than their fair share of a resource, or shoulder less than a fair share of the costs of its production. The free rider problem is the question...

The free-rider problem associated with public goods was recognized by David Hume, even before the time of Adam Smith's writings. Each citizen who can enjoy the benefit of a public good has an incentive to try to lay the whole burden of provision...

Bus riders, as well as rail passengers, will travel for free during the morning rush Dec. 16, Metro announced yesterday. The transit agency renegotiated a deal with financial services firm ING Direct, which originally offered to pay the fares of only rail riders...

The nation's largest doctors group said Tuesday that Americans who can afford health insurance should be required to buy it, a recommendation aimed particularly at young adults who tend to postpone coverage. The American Medical Association adopted the recommendation at...