Question 1

As an economic technique, discounting:

Accepted Answer

Discounting is a technique used in economics to determine the present value of future benefits or costs. However, when applied to the well-being of future generations, it often results in calculations that undervalue their interests compared to those of the present generation. This is because future benefits or costs are discounted back to their present value, making them seem less significant than immediate costs or benefits.

Question 2

What is the branch of macroeconomics that evaluates well-being and that is often used (especially in the US) to evaluate competing policies?

Accepted Answer

Welfare economics is the branch of macroeconomics that focuses on the overall well-being in the economy and is used to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of different policies, especially in terms of how they affect the welfare of different groups within the society.

Question 3

Which of the following captures the spirit of the tragedy of the commons thesis?

Accepted Answer

The tragedy of the commons thesis posits that individuals acting in their own self-interest regarding shared, limited resources can lead to depletion or destruction of those resources, which is catastrophic. This is captured by option A.

Question 4

Which is a collaborative international initiative within the United Nations climate talks and other international forums which will help to compensate governments, communities, companies, and/or individuals in low-income countries for actions that protect forests?

Accepted Answer

The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) initiative is a collaborative international effort aimed at compensating various stakeholders in low-income countries for actions that contribute to the protection of forests, thereby addressing climate change by reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

Question 5

Which is a term coined by environmental sociologists Freudenburg and Gramling to refer to a situation when attention is diverted away from real problems by trying to reframe the debate as being about something else?

Accepted Answer

Diversionary reframing is the term coined by Freudenburg and Gramling to describe the process of shifting attention away from real issues by reframing the debate around different concerns.

Question 6

Which of the following is an assumption of The Self-Interested Straw Person?

Accepted Answer

The Self-Interested Straw Person assumption encompasses all the listed options: it is a theoretical assumption of welfare economics, posits that individuals or firms act out of self-interest, and can be applied to various entities, including nations.

Question 7

The problem of not being able to settle on a policy option that will protect future generations is that it translates into lowering the current well-being of persons (corporations as persons) today. This is known as:

Accepted Answer

The term "Tyranny of the present" refers to the issue of current generations making decisions that prioritize their immediate needs or benefits at the expense of future generations' well-being. This concept highlights the challenge of balancing present interests with the responsibility to protect the interests of those who will live in the future.

Question 8

There is a metaphor of a pasture held "in common". All farmers act on their own self-interest and add additional cows to the field to optimize their own welfare / self-interest. This leads to over-grazing and loss of a farmer's own herd and their own self-interest/ welfare is compromised. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The scenario described is a classic example of the "Tragedy of the Commons," where individuals acting in their own self-interest deplete a shared resource, leading to long-term collective loss.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of post normal science (PNS)?

Accepted Answer

Post-normal science (PNS) emphasizes the complexity of scientific questions and the need for inclusive stakeholder involvement in addressing them, rather than focusing on the hiring of individual scientists by industry and NGOs as consultants, which is a practice not specific to or defining of PNS.

Question 10

Which term best defines collaborative agreements between nations within the United Nations to protect the environment and conserve natural resources?

Accepted Answer

Global governance best defines collaborative agreements between nations within the United Nations to protect the environment and conserve natural resources, as it refers to the collective efforts of international organizations, states, and other entities to address global issues and manage shared resources.

Question 11

Post-normal science refers to those scientific questions that require the making of value judgments.

Accepted Answer

Post-normal science is a concept that applies to the handling of complex scientific issues, particularly those involving high levels of uncertainty and where there is a need to incorporate societal values and stakeholder perspectives in the decision-making process. It acknowledges that in many cases, scientific knowledge alone is insufficient to make policy decisions, and value judgments must be made.

Question 12

Discounting is no longer used by policymakers in the United States.

Accepted Answer

Discounting is still used by policymakers in the United States as a tool for analyzing the costs and benefits of policies over time, particularly in areas such as environmental regulation, infrastructure investment, and public health.

Question 13

The so called "prisoner's dilemma" is based on the premises that in the real world people talk to each other.

Accepted Answer

The prisoner's dilemma is a theoretical game in economics and game theory where two individuals act in their own self-interest but could achieve a better outcome by cooperating, regardless of the real-world possibility of communication.

Question 14

"Common property" and "open access regimes" refer to the exact same thing.

Accepted Answer

"Common property" refers to resources managed by a group or community under established rules, while "open access regimes" describe resources that are not owned or regulated, allowing unrestricted access and use by anyone.

Question 15

Common Property Regimes are a legal entity that has the right to limit access and exclude "nonmembers" from using a particular resource.

Accepted Answer

Common Property Regimes are systems of resource management designed to allow certain groups or communities to manage resources collectively, with mechanisms in place to exclude nonmembers from using those resources, thereby preventing overuse and managing sustainability.

Question 16

With open access regimes there are no limits on who has access to a certain resource.

Accepted Answer

Open access regimes typically allow unrestricted and free access to resources, meaning there are no limits on who can access the given resource.

Question 17

REDD, (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation)is an international agreement to address climate change through carbon capture.

Accepted Answer

REDD is an international effort aimed at combating climate change by reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, essentially capturing carbon through the preservation and management of forests.

Question 18

Relative sustainability is leaving a stock of natural capital and other public and social goods in good standing for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Relative sustainability is leaving a stock of...

Question 19

The precautionary principal assumes that if a product or process will expose certain members of a group to a higher level of risk - the product or process should not go forward.

Accepted Answer

The precautionary principle suggests that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus, the burden of proof falls on those advocating for the action or policy to prove it is not harmful before proceeding. This principle is often applied to manage risk when there is the possibility of harm to human health or the environment, prioritizing caution in the face of uncertainty.

Question 20

Under the assumption of resource privatization "the commons" and other resources once held "in common" can be own privately owned and exploited by private individuals (or corporations).

Accepted Answer

Resource privatization involves transferring the ownership and management of resources from the public sector to private individuals or corporations, allowing these entities to own and exploit resources that were once held in common.

Quiz 11: Governance: Biases and Blind Spots