Governing the commons: the evolution of institutions for collective action

Abstract

Tackles one of the most enduring and contentious questions of positive political economy, whether and how the exploration of common-pool resources can be organised in a way that avoids both excessive consumption and administrative cost. The book first describes the three models (the tragedy of the commons, the prisoner's dilemma, and the logic of collective action) most frequently used as the foundation for recommending state or market solutions, then outlines theoretical and empirical alternatives to them. The author uses institutional analysis to examine different methods of governing the commons, using the examples of communal tenure in meadows, forests, irrigation communities, and fisheries. -P.Hardiman