Thomas Malthus and David Ricardo believed that to increase agricultural output, people would be forced to
A) farm land more intensively, in which case the returns to successive increases in population would diminish.
B) farm land less intensively, in which case the returns to successive increases in population would increase.
C) farm land more intensively, in which case the returns to successive increases in population would increase.
D) farm land less intensively, in which case the returns to successive increases in population would diminish.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Thomas Malthus and David Ricardo argued that as population increased, people would have to farm land more intensively. However, due to the law of diminishing returns, each additional unit of labor or investment would yield less output than the previous one, leading to diminishing returns to successive increases in population.

Thomas Malthus and David Ricardo Believed That to Increase Agricultural