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The Uncommon Insight of Elinor Ostrom

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  • Theodore C. Bergstrom

Abstract

Standard economic approaches to the problem of overuse of common property resources have emphasized two competing remedies: the Pigovian approach of corrective taxation, and the property rights approach of internalizing externalities by means of assigning marketable property rights to individual owners with exclusive claim on the entire commons. Elinor Ostrom pursues a third approach, which is based on case studies of existing communities that have established successful and durable systems of managing common property resources. This paper discusses her work and suggests that economists with an interest in public policy have much to gain from becoming familiar with the work of Ostrom and her co‐authors.

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  • Theodore C. Bergstrom, 2010. "The Uncommon Insight of Elinor Ostrom," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 112(2), pages 245-261, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:scandj:v:112:y:2010:i:2:p:245-261
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9442.2010.01608.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Buchanan, James M & Yoon, Yong J, 2000. "Symmetric Tragedies: Commons and Anticommons," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 43(1), pages 1-13, April.
    2. Ronald H. Coase, 2008. "The Institutional Structure of Production," Springer Books, in: Claude Ménard & Mary M. Shirley (ed.), Handbook of New Institutional Economics, chapter 2, pages 31-39, Springer.
    3. Edella Schlager & Elinor Ostrom, 1992. "Property-Rights Regimes and Natural Resources: A Conceptual Analysis," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 68(3), pages 249-262.
    4. George J. Mailath & Andrew Postlewaite, 1990. "Asymmetric Information Bargaining Problems with Many Agents," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 57(3), pages 351-367.
    5. Elinor Ostrom & Roy Gardner, 1993. "Coping with Asymmetries in the Commons: Self-Governing Irrigation Systems Can Work," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 7(4), pages 93-112, Fall.
    6. Myerson, Roger B. & Satterthwaite, Mark A., 1983. "Efficient mechanisms for bilateral trading," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 265-281, April.
    7. R. H. Coase, 2013. "The Problem of Social Cost," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(4), pages 837-877.
    8. Ostrom, Elinor & Walker, James & Gardner, Roy, 1992. "Covenants with and without a Sword: Self-Governance Is Possible," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 86(2), pages 404-417, June.
    9. Dixit, Avinash & Olson, Mancur, 2000. "Does voluntary participation undermine the Coase Theorem?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(3), pages 309-335, June.
    10. Elinor Ostrom, 2000. "Collective Action and the Evolution of Social Norms," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 14(3), pages 137-158, Summer.
    11. H. Scott Gordon, 1954. "The Economic Theory of a Common-Property Resource: The Fishery," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Chennat Gopalakrishnan (ed.), Classic Papers in Natural Resource Economics, chapter 9, pages 178-203, Palgrave Macmillan.
    12. Elinor Ostrom, 2014. "A Polycentric Approach For Coping With Climate Change," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 15(1), pages 97-134, May.
    13. Karni, Edi & Chakrabarti, Subir K., 1997. "Political structure, taxes, and trade," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 241-258, May.
    14. H. Scott Gordon, 1954. "The Economic Theory of a Common-Property Resource: The Fishery," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 62(2), pages 124-124.
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    Cited by:

    1. Charlotte Demonsant & Kevin Levillain & Blanche Segrestin, 2022. "Questioning the logic of collective climate action: framing the climate action situation and the model of "Common rescue"," Post-Print hal-03722106, HAL.
    2. Pesci, Caterina & Costa, Ericka & Andreaus, Michele, 2020. "Using accountability to shape the common good," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 67.
    3. Beatriz Lama-Pedrosa & Álvaro Sordo-Ward & Paola Bianucci & Luis Garrote, 2023. "Sustainability of Duero Water Systems for Crop Production in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-22, December.
    4. José António Filipe, 2014. "Tourism Destinations: A Methodological Discussion on Commons and Anti-commons. The ‘Ammaia’ Project’s Locale Impact," International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, vol. 4(2), pages 725-725.
    5. Driouchi, Ahmed & Malki, Karim, 2011. "Enterprise creation & anti-commons in developing economies: evidence from World Bank doing business data," MPRA Paper 32373, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 22 Jul 2011.
    6. Driouchi, Ahmed, 2015. "Creation of Enterprises & Knowledge Economy in the Arab Countries," MPRA Paper 67366, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. José António Filipe, 2014. "Tourism Destinations and Local Rental: A Discussion around Bureaucracy and Anticommons. Algarve Case (Portugal)," International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, vol. 4(4), pages 821-821.
    8. Driouchi, Ahmed, 2015. "Hofstede Index and Knowledge Economy Imperfections in Arab Countries," MPRA Paper 67365, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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