a term coined by Garrett Hardin describing the inexorable process of degradation of communal resources due to selfish self-interest of "free riders" who use or destroy more than their fair share of common property.
An inexorable process of degradation of communal resources due to selfish self-interest of ¡§free riders¡¨ who use or destroy more than their fair share of common property. See open access systems.
Ecological metaphor calling attention to the overuse and eventual destruction of free-range grazing land.
Overuse or misuse of a commonly-owned resource, such as public grazing land or fishing waters. View Capstone Lesson(s) that address this concept
Describes the phenomenon of overuse of resources held in common (i.e. by the "public" or by government). The overuse occurs because the failure to adequately define property rights means that no one has an incentive to conserve or maintain the resource and all have an incentive to use the resource before others do.
the tendency for common property resources to be overexploited because no one has an incentive to conserve the resource, while individual financial incentives promote expanded exploitation.
The tragedy of the commons refers to the case of a communal pasture area where all individuals are free to graze their livestock. The `tragedy' arises because these `commons' were typically heavily over grazed.
The tragedy of the commons is a class of social trap that involves a conflict over resources between individual interests and the common good. The term derives originally from a parable published by William Forster Lloyd in his 1833 book on population. It was then popularized and extended by Garrett Hardin in his 1968 Science essay "The Tragedy of the Commons"Hardin, G. (1968) http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_tragedy_of_the_commons.html The Tragedy of the Commons, Science 162, 1243-1248.