A person who enjoys a good without sharing in the cost is best described as a?

• A. Free-rider
• B. Public goods
• C. Private goods
• D. Tragedy of the commons

Answer: (A)

A free rider is someone who enjoys a good without sharing in the cost. This happens because public goods are often non-excludable and non-rival, so people can benefit without paying, which leads to the free-rider dynamic when funding or providing the good depends on collective contributions. For example, street lighting benefits everyone, and a person can enjoy the light without paying more directly. The other terms describe either the nature of the good (public or private goods) or a different situation (tragedy of the commons involves overuse of shared resources, not the act of not paying).