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The Tragedy of the Commons from a Game-Theoretic Perspective

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  • Florian K. Diekert

    (Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biology, University of Oslo, Postbox 1066, 0316 Oslo, Norway
    Department of Economics, University of Oslo, P.O. 1095, 0317 Oslo, Norway)

Abstract

Twenty years after the declarations from the Earth Summit in Rio, the world faces an unattenuated host of problems that threaten the goal of sustainable development. The challenge to cooperatively solve socio-ecological problems has been portrayed in Garrett Hardin’s essay “The Tragedy of the Commons”. While this paper remains controversial, it has inspired a vast number of theoretical, experimental, and empirical contributions that have clarified the mechanisms of collective action problems and suggested ways to overcome these. This article reviews the recent game-theoretic research in this field.

Suggested Citation

  • Florian K. Diekert, 2012. "The Tragedy of the Commons from a Game-Theoretic Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(8), pages 1-11, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:4:y:2012:i:8:p:1776-1786:d:19419
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mason, Charles F. & Polasky, Stephen & Tarui, Nori, 2017. "Cooperation on climate-change mitigation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 43-55.
    2. 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.
    3. Stephen Polasky & Nori Tarui & Gregory Ellis & Charles Mason, 2006. "Cooperation in the commons," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 29(1), pages 71-88, September.
    4. Scott Barrett, 2012. "Climate Treaties and Approaching Catastrophes," CESifo Working Paper Series 4024, CESifo.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wilhelms, Steven C. & Coatney, Kalyn T. & Chaudhry, Anita M. & Rodgers, Aaron D., 2016. "Brinkmanship on the Commons: A Laboratory Experiment Related to African Pulaar Herders," 2016 Annual Meeting, February 6-9, 2016, San Antonio, Texas 230085, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    2. Stefano Moroni, 2025. "Untangling the commons: three different forms of commonality," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 38(2), pages 169-185, June.
    3. R. Dutta-Powell & Z. Powell & B. J. Fung, 2025. "Message Strategies to Mitigate Panic Buying: Factual vs. Moral or Norm Appeals," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 81-104, June.
    4. Zygmuntowski, Jan J. & Zoboli, Laura & Nemitz, Paul, 2021. "Embedding European values in data governance: A case for public data commons," Internet Policy Review: Journal on Internet Regulation, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Berlin, vol. 10(3), pages 1-29.
    5. Fabio Zagonari, 2019. "Multi-Criteria, Cost-Benefit, and Life-Cycle Analyses for Decision-Making to Support Responsible, Sustainable, and Alternative Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-35, February.
    6. Manzoor, Talha & Rovenskaya, Elena & Muhammad, Abubakr, 2016. "Game-theoretic insights into the role of environmentalism and social-ecological relevance: A cognitive model of resource consumption," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 340(C), pages 74-85.
    7. Catarino, Rui & Areal, Francisco & Park, Julian & Parisey, Nicolas, 2019. "Spatially explicit economic effects of non-susceptible pests' invasion on Bt maize," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 22-33.
    8. Alessio Carrozzo Magli & Pompeo Della Posta & Piero Manfredi, 2021. "The Tragedy of the Commons as a Prisoner’s Dilemma. Its Relevance for Sustainability Games," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-10, July.
    9. Mielke, Jahel & Steudle, Gesine A., 2018. "Green Investment and Coordination Failure: An Investors' Perspective," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 88-95.

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