Which of the Following Helps Explain the Difficulty in Solving

question 23

Multiple Choice

Which of the following helps explain the difficulty in solving the long-term debt problem in the United States?

• A) The decline in the strength of American political parties in recent years has made compromise in this area highly unlikely.
• B) The decline in social spending has reduced the level of economic growth in the United States.
• C) The Democratic Party has been captured by special interest groups that benefit from high levels of debt.
• D) The Republican Party refuses to reduce the level of taxes that restrict economic growth in society.
• E) The rise of extreme partisanship in recent years has made compromise in this area highly unlikely.

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Definitions:

Commons Dilemma

A situation in shared-resource systems where individual users acting independently according to their own self-interest behave contrary to the common good of all users by depleting or spoiling that resource.

Bystander Effect

The phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present.

Kitty Genovese

An American woman whose 1964 murder in New York City became influential in the study of the bystander effect and social psychology.

Prisoner's Dilemma

A scenario in game theory where two individuals acting in their self-interest do not result in the optimal outcome for either party.