Question 1

The &#34;commons&#34; Hardin talks about in &#34;The Tragedy of the Commons&#34; is&#10;A) the student union in his university, where all students congregate but there is little interaction across racial and ethnic lines, hence the &#34;tragedy&#34;.&#10;B) the many public executions and lynchings that took place in town squares during the era of Jim Crow (between the Civil War and the modern civil rights movement).&#10;C) almost anything that can be ruined by individuals pursuing their own self interest, heedless of the costs this has on the things we all share or have &#34;in common&#34;.&#10;D) the land available to everyone in pre-Industrial England where wood could be gathered and animals could be grazed-land that was taken away by rich and powerful elites, hence the &#34;tragedy&#34;.

Accepted Answer

Hardin's concept of the "commons" refers to shared resources, such as land, water or air, that can be easily overused or depleted if everyone pursues their own self-interest without considering the impact on others. Hardin argues that this dilemma of the "tragedy" of overuse is inherent to any system where resources are shared in common.

Question 2

One solution to the &#34;Tragedy of the Commons&#34; is&#10;A) abolish private property and distribute all things according to the greatest needs.&#10;B) appeal to people's conscience to do the right thing.&#10;C) impose policies, restrictions, taxes, or penalties to regulate the use of &#34;the commons.&#34;&#10;D) technological innovation directed at solving new and age-old problems.

Accepted Answer

Imposing policies, restrictions, taxes, or penalties to regulate the use of "the commons" is the most effective way to prevent overuse or depletion. This ensures that individuals and groups are held accountable for their actions, and that the resource is managed sustainably for the benefit of all. Appeals to conscience or technological innovation may help, but they may not be sufficient on their own to address the underlying issue of overconsumption or competition for a limited resource. Abolishing private property and distributing all things according to the greatest needs is not a realistic solution and has been proven ineffective in past attempts.

Question 3

Hardin (&#34;The Tragedy of the Commons&#34;) strongly objects to ideas put forward by whom in his 1776 publication, Wealth of Nations?&#10;A) Thomas Jefferson&#10;B) Adam Smith&#10;C) Benjamin Franklin&#10;D) Andrew Carnegie

Accepted Answer

Hardin strongly objects to ideas put forward by Adam Smith in his 1776 publication, Wealth of Nations. Hardin argues that the idea that individuals pursuing their own self-interest will always lead to the best outcome for society as a whole is flawed, and can result in the "tragedy of the commons" where shared resources are overused and depleted.

Question 4

The topic Hardin (&#34;The Tragedy of the Commons&#34;) builds his discussion around, but does not confine his analysis to, is&#10;A) global population growth.&#10;B) industrial agriculture.&#10;C) declining test scores among American school children.&#10;D) family values.

Accepted Answer

Hardin's discussion is centered around the issue of overpopulation and the depletion of commonly shared resources, but he also touches on other topics such as individual responsibility and the role of government in managing the commons. B, C, and D are not the main focus of his essay.

Deck 3: The Tragedy of the Commons