Hardin argued that grazing land held in common (that is, open to any user) would always be used less carefully than private grazing land. Each rancher would be tempted to over use common land because the benefits would accrue to the individual, while the costs of reduced land quality that results from overuse would be spread among all users. But a study comparing 217 million acres of common grazing land with 433 million acres of private grazing land showed that the common land was in better condition.
The answer to which of the following questions would be most useful in evaluating the significance, in relation to Hardin's claim, of the study described above?
The answer to which of the following questions would be most useful in evaluating the significance, in relation to Hardin's claim, of the study described above?