Question

Andrew's mom tells him that she went to the store and bought enough cupcakes so that each member of the family could have one. Andrew really loves cupcakes, so he takes two. This results in one family member losing their cupcake. This is an example of: ______.

Answer 1

Answer:

The tragedy of the commons.

Explanation:

Andrew taking two cupcakes instead of one results in one family member losing their cupcake. This is an example of the tragedy of the commons. This term is used in social science to describe the behavior of an individual who overuses a limited shared resource in his benefit. This is done to obtain an individual short-term gain that provokes a long-term loss for the group. This is a behavior that shows an individual caring for his self-interest and not caring for the common good.