Lindblom - The Market System - Afghan Journalists' Committee

32 How It WorksCoordination in the Face of ScarcityIn the days before affluence multiplied the number oftourists swarming over Italy, it took little effort in coordinationto accommodate those who wished to see theMichelangelo murals in the Sistine Chapel. Today this coordinationrequires regulated hours, tickets, and queues.When there is not enough of a given benefit to satisfyeveryone, coordination, whether for cooperation or peacekeeping,becomes difficult yet all the more necessary. “Notenough” means that some go without and that almost noone is wholly satisfied. That is, some Vatican visitors willbe rushed through the chapel while others will not evengain admittance. This is a major point about social coordination:when there is not enough of a benefit to go around,coordination imposes deprivation and consequently mustcope with frustration, aggravated conflict, and sometimesrage.For most objects and experiences to which people aspire,there is not enough to go around, whether the benefitis something intangible, like sightseeing opportunities inRome, or something tangible, like bread. Not enough breadto go around? No, there is not. The shortage is disguised becausesociety limits the number of people who ask for it:they must pay for it. Take away that constraint and theshortage would be obvious. Take away the legal rules thatlimit the kinds of disputes that can be taken to court, and acrippling shortage of judges would be apparent. Althoughsome shortages are only too visible, most are obscured byconstraining those who make requests or demands. Rules ofeligibility—for example, entrance requirements for admissionto college—are common constraints. Making peopleoffer something in exchange is even more widespread a con-