The tragedy of the commons occurs when

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks: The tragedy of the commons occurs when

Option provided: a. a common-resource good becomes depleted.

To understand why this statement captures the core idea, consider the basic setup of the tragedy of the commons: a resource that is shared by a group (a common-pool resource) is susceptible to overuse because each user receives the benefits of their own consumption while the costs of overuse are distributed among all users. This leads to a situation where individuals have incentives to extract as much as possible, leading to overgrazing, overfishing, or overuse of other shared resources. Over time, collective overuse reduces the resource's availability, quality, or both, potentially to the point of depletion.

Expanding on the concept, the key mechanism is the tension between private incentives and social costs. Each user acting in their own interest may ignore the broader impact on others and on the resource, causing gradual degradation. This outcome is a classic example of a negative externality where the cost of one person’s use is imposed on others.

If we compare this to other potential statements (had they been provided), we would assess whether they properly describe the core features of the tragedy: the shared nature of the resource, the tendency toward depletion due to overuse, and the absence or inefficiency of exclusion mechanisms that would prevent overuse. In this case, the sole option aligns with the defining consequence: depletion of a common-resource good.

In sum, the statement reflects the essential description of the tragedy of the commons, highlighting how collective action problems in shared resources lead to depletion over time.

MCD2020 - T1 - 2025 Homework Quiz 5 - Market Failure and Government Intervention

The tragedy of the commons occurs when

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Which of the following is not a common resource?

Common resource goods are:

Which of the following would be considered a common resource good?

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

Economic stress and unpredictable times have resulted in a booming industry for self-help products

People born without creativity never can develop it

A product has a selling price of $20, a contribution margin ratio of 40% and fixed cost of $120,000. To make a profit of $30,000. The number of units that must be sold is: Type the number without $ and a comma. Eg: 20000

Which of the following statement regarding cost is correct:

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler