Is the Only Form of 'Reasonable Regulation' Self Regulation?: Lessons from Lin Ostrom on Regulating the Commons and Cultivating Citizens

9 Pages Posted: 24 Oct 2010 Last revised: 21 Feb 2012

See all articles by Peter J. Boettke

Peter J. Boettke

George Mason University - Department of Economics; Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Date Written: January 22, 2010

Abstract

Elinor Ostrom, the 2009 Nobel Prize winner in economic science, has made significant contributions throughout her career to the disciplines of political economy and public choice. This article focuses on her contributions to our understanding of how rules of self governance can produce cooperation out of situations of conflict over resource use. Through the use of a multiple-methods approach to political economy, Ostrom has demonstrated in a variety of historical circumstances and within a diversity of institutional environments how individuals can craft rules so that they can live better together in their communities and realize the gains from social cooperation under the division of labor.

Keywords: Political economy, Collective action, Governing the commons, Self-regulation

JEL Classification: B31, B25

Suggested Citation

Boettke, Peter J. and Boettke, Peter J., Is the Only Form of 'Reasonable Regulation' Self Regulation?: Lessons from Lin Ostrom on Regulating the Commons and Cultivating Citizens (January 22, 2010). Public Choice, Vol. 143, pp. 283-291, 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1696018

Peter J. Boettke (Contact Author)

Mercatus Center at George Mason University ( email )

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George Mason University - Department of Economics ( email )

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