3. In a social community, the concept of the "rule of law" has been shown to be vital in maintaining peace, order, and cooperation. The rule of law establishes well known, equally applied rules that maintain the protection of individual rightsincluding property rights, which contribute to economic growth and development. In this sense, the rule of law can be thought of as a "public good," as it provides non-excludable and non-rival benefits to the community as a whole when it is consistently upheld. The effectiveness and survival of the rule of law, however, depends on the community's prevailing beliefs. If a large enough portion of the community believes in and upholds the rule of law as a form of individual rights, as opposed to alternative beliefs in "social justice" or collective rights, then the rule of law will remain relatively strong. Conversely, if too few in the community believe in and support individual rights, then the rule of law may become weak, potentially generating instability and inequity among members and groups within the community, who attempt redistribution and reform in support of social justice. Assumptions: Assume that there are 500 members in a community. For the rule of law to be effective, at least 300 members must strongly believe in and prioritize individual rights over social justice. Further assume that it is both individually beneficial & costly to adhere to either belief. The benefit of the rule of law is that it provides social order and cooperation. The cost is that it requires one to restrain oneself (and others) according to the rules of individual justice. The benefit of social justice is that it provides for minority groups, but at the expense of some (cost). Finally, we shall assume that there is a cost to individuals who go against the grain and choose along with the minority belief. Expected benefit of supporting the rule of law: +10 points Expected benefit from supporting social justice: +6 points Cost of supporting a minority belief: -2 points Cost of adhering to a belief (effort, social pressure, personal restraint, etc.): -2 points for adhering to the Rule of Law, -1 point for adhering to Social Justice. Below is the payoff matrix for an individual member of the community: Individual's Choice Community Majority: Rule of Law Social Justice Rule of Law (>300 support) +10 (benefit) -2 (cost) = +8 +6 (benefit) -2 (minority cost) - 1 (cost) = +3 Social Justice (<300 goods