Final answer:
The phrase 'divide et impera' refers to dividing tasks among individuals to make a workload manageable, which is the correct answer to the student's question about committee members taking separate tasks.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a student asks, "With too much work for one person to do, each committee member took a task. This is an example of," the correct answer is 'divide et impera'. This Latin phrase means 'divide and rule' or 'divide and conquer' and refers to the strategy of breaking down larger tasks among individuals to make them more manageable. It is a way to address collective action problems and can help prevent the scenario where no decision is made, and the status quo prevails. This aligns with the general concept that a group facing a large task may delegate responsibilities to ensure the work gets done, rather than being overwhelmed and maintaining the status quo.