Because there is no incentive to protect public areas, each user (such as a business) tends to act in their own self-interest. What is this called?
A)Marginal public cost
B)Tragedy of the commons
C)Market failure
D)Negative externalities

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Because there is no incentive to protect public areas, each user tends to act in their own self-interest. This is called the tragedy of the commons.
Key Takeaway: The tragedy of the commons arises from a situation in which multiple individuals who are sharing a resource will ultimately deplete that resource in the pursuit of their own self-interest. The dilemma was first discussed by economist Garrett Hardin in the late 1960s and is typically used in discussions of environmental protection and global warming.

Because There Is No Incentive to Protect Public Areas, Each