Contribution decline occurs when participation falls before output collapses.
It is a behavioural signal, not an economic one.
What It Is
Contribution decline appears as:
- Reduced labour participation
- Increased disengagement
- Informal withdrawal from obligation
- Strategic non-compliance
Productivity may persist temporarily.
Participation does not.
Why It Appears
It arises when:
- Effort is not reciprocated
- Non-participation is normalised
- Contribution is penalised
- Enforcement is absent
People adjust behaviour before systems adjust policy.
What It Indicates
Contribution decline indicates:
- Broken reciprocity
- Eroding trust
- Imminent fiscal strain
- Institutional fragility
It is an early-stage failure.
What Follows
If uncorrected:
- Fiscal pressure escalates
- Monitoring replaces trust
- Coercion replaces norm
- Collapse accelerates
Closing
Societies fail when contributors disengage quietly.
Contribution cannot be assumed.
It must be preserved.