ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors discusses that certain long-standing rules have governed the game of Western water development. Once these rules are understood, the behavior of Arizona farmers with regard to the Central Arizona Project (CAP)--which seems on a superficial level to be irrational--makes sense. Most of the farmers' long-standing views about the CAP appear to persist. Almost unanimously, the farmers believe that the CAP will be good for them. The farmers who seem to have the least to gain are the most emotional in their support. So far, Arizona farmers have declined to drop out of the water game, even though winnings may be slim or non-existent. This behavior is best understood in terms of the real alternatives they face. To give up hope of the CAP means writing off a sunk investment of decades of political effort.
