Which scenario is the best example of the tragedy of the commons?

• A. Overfishing in a public lake leading to depletion of fish stocks
• B. A company polluting its own private land
• C. A government providing free vaccinations to all citizens
• D. A group of friends sharing a pizza and splitting the cost equally

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of the tragedy of the commons. It occurs when individuals, acting independently according to their own self-interest, overuse and deplete a shared resource, leading to its degradation or exhaustion.
2. Step 2: Identify the key characteristics of the tragedy of the commons: a common resource accessible to all, no individual ownership, and overuse resulting in depletion or harm to the resource.
3. Step 3: Analyze each scenario to see if it fits these characteristics. For example, overfishing in a public lake involves a shared resource (the fish stock) that is accessible to many, with no single owner controlling usage.
4. Step 4: Compare this with other options: pollution on private land involves private property, so it is not a commons problem; free vaccinations are a public good but do not involve depletion of a resource; sharing a pizza is a private good shared among friends, not a common resource subject to overuse.
5. Step 5: Conclude that overfishing in a public lake best exemplifies the tragedy of the commons because it involves a shared resource being overused and depleted due to lack of exclusive ownership and regulation.