The joint decision trap was identified by the political scientist, Fritz W. Scharpf in a 1988 scholarly article, Scharpf, Fritz W.. 'The Joint-Decision Trap. Lessons From German Federalism and European Integration'. Public Administration, Vol. 66, No. 2. pp. 239–78. It is understood to be a situation in which there is a tendency for government decisions to be taken at the lowest common denominator in situations where the decision-makers have the ability to veto the proposals. It is common challenge for federal governments, such as Germany, and the European Union.
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