The tragedy of the commons is the absence of incentives to
A) use commonly- owned resources.
B) have commonly- owned resources.
C) use privately- owned resources.
D) prevent the overuse of commonly- owned resources.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The tragedy of the commons refers to a situation where individuals, acting independently and rationally according to each one's self-interest, behave contrary to the whole group's long-term best interests by depleting a common resource. This is because there is no incentive to prevent the overuse of resources that are commonly owned, leading to their eventual depletion.

The Tragedy of the Commons Is the Absence of Incentives