The tragedy of the commons is the absence of incentives to
A) correctly measure the marginal benefit.
B) prevent under use of the common resource.
C) prevent overuse and depletion of the common resource.
D) discover the resource.
E) prevent the free-rider problem.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The tragedy of the commons refers to the overuse and depletion of a common resource that occurs when individuals act in their own self-interest, without considering the negative effects on others. There are no incentives in place to prevent overuse, as each person has an incentive to take as much as possible.

The Tragedy of the Commons Is the Absence of Incentives