Lesson 2: Design Principles for Governance of the Commons

Ostrom was a political economist who changed our understanding of economic governance & common pool resources, work for which they were awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. 

Ostrom’s Nine Design Principles

1. Define clear group boundaries.
2. Match rules governing use of common goods to local needs and conditions.
3. Ensure that those affected by the rules can participate in modifying the rules.
4. Make sure the rule-making rights of community members are respected by outside authorities.
5. Develop a system, carried out by community members, for monitoring members’ behavior.
6. Use graduated sanctions for rule violators.
7. Provide accessible, low-cost means for dispute resolution.
8. Build responsibility for governing the common resource in nested tiers from the lowest level up to the entire interconnected system.

Task this week - go and find out what some common goods in the community are and figure out how many principles are used in the management of those goods.