Question

when people share a common resource without agreement or regulation of its use, what is likely to happen? the possibilities are unknown. it will never be overused. it is likely to become overused. it will last forever.

Explanation:

This question relates to the concept of the tragedy of the commons, a well - known idea in social science (specifically in fields like economics and sociology). The tragedy of the commons states that when a resource is shared and there are no regulations on its use, individuals acting in their own self - interest will tend to overuse the resource. For example, if there is a common pasture for grazing livestock and no rules about how many animals each person can graze, each person will try to graze as many as possible, leading to overgrazing. So, when people share a common resource without agreement or regulation, it is likely to be overused. The option "The possibilities are unknown" is incorrect because we know from the tragedy of the commons what is likely to happen. "It will never be overused" goes against the concept of the tragedy of the commons. "It will last forever" is also incorrect as overuse will deplete the resource over time.

Answer:

C. It is likely to become overused.