Final answer:
The collective goods problem refers to the difficulty of providing benefits that all group members enjoy regardless of individual contribution, often exemplified by public goods like roads where free riding can occur.
Step-by-step explanation:
The collective goods problem is the challenge of how to provide something that benefits all members of a group, regardless of what each individual contributes. In international relations, this issue is often complicated by the anarchic nature of the international system, which makes it difficult to motivate states to contribute to common goods, such as environmental protections or collective security measures, that benefit all.
An example of a collective good at a community level is a public road. All individuals can use it, irrespective of their contribution to its construction. Those who do not contribute but still benefit from the road are known as free riders. This phenomenon occurs not just in local communities but also in politics where interest groups struggle with motivating members to contribute to the attainment of public goods from which everyone, even non-contributors, will benefit.