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A review by aegagrus
Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action by Elinor Ostrom
3.5
Governing the Commons is a still-timely classic, starting from the premise that local models of self-government can provide a viable alternative to the centralized state and the free market as a vehicle for responsibly allocating and maintaining shared resource pools. Ostrom starts by laying theoretical groundwork, discussing model-based approaches to collective action problems and the limitations of previous scholarship. The main portion of her work consists of an analysis of a rich secondary literature about successful, failed, and still-nascent attempts at such governance. Along the way, she begins to propose theoretical conditions under which success is more or less likely, before concluding with broader theoretical implications.
Ostrom's writing is generally trim, focused, and accessible. Readers with a background in the relevant fields may find some of her theoretical exposition trivial (in part, it must be said, due to the lasting influence of her ideas). Readers without such a background may find some of her reflections opaque, particularly those reflections working from the lexicon of game theory. Either type of reader, though, will be able to grasp the general criteria Ostrom puts forward amid her often detailed work with case studies.
Some readers today might find the polemical portions of this book no longer necessary, or find the theory being advanced somewhat tentative, but in general this is a clear, relevant, and useful work on which to build.
Ostrom's writing is generally trim, focused, and accessible. Readers with a background in the relevant fields may find some of her theoretical exposition trivial (in part, it must be said, due to the lasting influence of her ideas). Readers without such a background may find some of her reflections opaque, particularly those reflections working from the lexicon of game theory. Either type of reader, though, will be able to grasp the general criteria Ostrom puts forward amid her often detailed work with case studies.
Some readers today might find the polemical portions of this book no longer necessary, or find the theory being advanced somewhat tentative, but in general this is a clear, relevant, and useful work on which to build.