What term describes a problem that triggers a chain of other problems?

What term describes a problem that triggers a chain of other problems?

• A. Cycle of Decline
• B. Negative Multiplier Effect
• C. Deindustrialisation
• D. Social Impact

Answer: (A)

A self-reinforcing downward spiral is being described here. When a problem hits an area, it can trigger a chain of other problems that feed back into the original issue, making things worse over time. For example, losing a key factory leads to unemployment, less local spending, weaker services, falling house prices, and people moving away, which then causes even more decline. That repeating sequence of worsening problems is a cycle of decline. The other terms are related but don’t name the process as precisely. The negative multiplier effect describes how an initial change can be amplified through the economy, but it’s a mechanism rather than the specific label for the repeating chain. Deindustrialisation refers to the broader shift away from manufacturing, not the ongoing spiral of problems. Social impact describes the effects on people, not the pattern of cascading issues.

A self-reinforcing downward spiral is being described here. When a problem hits an area, it can trigger a chain of other problems that feed back into the original issue, making things worse over time. For example, losing a key factory leads to unemployment, less local spending, weaker services, falling house prices, and people moving away, which then causes even more decline. That repeating sequence of worsening problems is a cycle of decline.

The other terms are related but don’t name the process as precisely. The negative multiplier effect describes how an initial change can be amplified through the economy, but it’s a mechanism rather than the specific label for the repeating chain. Deindustrialisation refers to the broader shift away from manufacturing, not the ongoing spiral of problems. Social impact describes the effects on people, not the pattern of cascading issues.