A company that dumps toxic waste in a river to keep costs down will likely never get caught by environmental regulators. According to Garrett Harden, we can best understand the costs of this action in terms of:
A) a public goods dilemma.
B) a relative deprivation.
C) by thinking of it as an unintended consequence.
D) a social dilemma.
E) a tragedy of the commons.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The situation described in the question is a classic example of the tragedy of the commons, where individuals or companies exploit a shared resource for their own benefit, resulting in collective harm. In this case, the river is a common resource that the company is using to lower costs, but it is harming the environment and other users of the river. The tragedy of the commons concept highlights the importance of implementing regulations to prevent overuse or exploitation of shared resources.

A Company That Dumps Toxic Waste in a River to Keep