The DOI matches its Crossref record; 1 of the 1 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action
Abstract
The governance of natural resources used by many individuals in common is an issue of increasing concern to policy analysts. Both state control and privatization of resources have been advocated, but neither the state nor the market have been uniformly successful in solving common pool resource problems. After critiquing the foundations of policy analysis as applied to natural resources, Elinor Ostrom here provides a unique body of empirical data to explore conditions under which common pool resource problems have been satisfactorily or unsatisfactorily solved. Dr Ostrom uses institutional analysis to explore different ways - both successful and unsuccessful - of governing the commons. In contrast to the proposition of the 'tragedy of the commons' argument, common pool problems sometimes are solved by voluntary organizations rather than by a coercive state. Among the cases considered are communal tenure in meadows and forests, irrigation communities and other water rights, and fisheries.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“These innovations exemplify what Ostrom (2015) terms “governance design principles”/; institutional arrangements that enable sustainable citizen engagement beyond individual leadership.”
From Transcending Boundaries: Sushma Swaraj and the Multidimensional Paradigm of Women's Empowerment in Political Leadership (2025) · cites this paper as Ostrom (2015)
In the citing paper
“This is the approach adopted in conservation biology, where crises observed across multiple contexts (e.g., ecosystem collapse, mismanaged commons) lead to an understanding of multiscaled dynamics yielding solutions that can be tailored to given sociological and ecological contexts (8, 47, 64).”
From Stewardship of global collective behavior (2021) · cites this paper as [47]
Citations
Cites
The publisher hasn’t deposited this paper’s reference list.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 201–300 of 950
Gonçalves, C., & Pinho, P. (2024) · AMBIO · doi:10.1007/s13280-024-02040-5 · Cited by 13
Make Me a Better Offer: Developer Threats and Regional Competition for Land Development Projects
Kang, K. E., & Homsy, G. C. (2019) · Economic Development Quarterly · doi:10.1177/0891242419897124 · Cited by 13
Keddie, A., MacDonald, K., Blackmore, J., et al. (2022) · The Australian Educational Researcher · doi:10.1007/s13384-022-00573-w · Cited by 13
Collaborative hierarchy maintains cooperation in asymmetric games
Antonioni, A., Pereda, M., Cronin, K. A., Tomassini, M., & Sánchez, Á. (2018) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-23681-z · Cited by 13
Insights into human cooperation from comparative economics
Brosnan, S. F. (2018) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-018-0383-7 · Cited by 13
Premo, J., Cavagnetto, A. R., & Lamb, R. L. (2017) · International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education · doi:10.1007/s10763-017-9804-8 · Cited by 15
Construction Cultures: Sources, Signs, and Solutions of Toxicity
Clegg, S. R., Loosemore, M., Walker, D. H. T., et al. (2022) · doi:10.1002/9781119813798.ch1 · Cited by 13
Singhvi, A., Athanassiadis, A., & Binder, C. R. (2025) · Urban Research & Practice · doi:10.1080/17535069.2025.2465961 · Cited by 11
The universal commons: An economic theory of ecosystem ownership
Herrmann‐Pillath, C. (2023) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2023.107822 · Cited by 16
When the time is right: testing for dynamic effects in collaborative performance
Bel, G., & Elston, T. (2023) · Public Management Review · doi:10.1080/14719037.2023.2214784 · Cited by 12
Pueppke, S. G., Nurtazin, S. T., Murzashev, T. K., Galymzhanov, I. S., Graham, N. A., & Конысбаев, Т. Г. (2023) · Water · doi:10.3390/w15193399 · Cited by 16
Zeng, Z., Luo, Y., Tao, W., Zhang, R., Zeng, B., Yao, J., & Zhang, W. (2024) · BMC Family Practice · doi:10.1186/s12875-024-02450-0 · Cited by 12
Darma, R., O’Connor, P., Akzar, R., et al. (2025) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su17083501 · Cited by 12
Game Theory and the Self-Fulfilling Climate Tragedy
Kopec, M. (2017) · Environmental Values · doi:10.3197/096327117x14847335385553 · Cited by 13
Cooperation dynamics of generalized reciprocity in state-based social dilemmas
Stojkoski, V., Utkovski, Z., Basnarkov, L., et al. (2018) · Physical review. E · doi:10.1103/physreve.97.052305 · Cited by 11
Torre, C. D., Ravazzoli, E., Omizzolo, A., Gretter, A., & Membretti, A. (2021) · Revue de géographie alpine · doi:10.4000/rga.8589 · Cited by 12
A Conceptual Model and Metaplatform for Public Interest Technology Design
Pitt, J. V., & Cranefield, S. (2021) · IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society · doi:10.1109/tts.2021.3075189 · Cited by 12
Stjernström, O., Pashkevich, A., & Avango, D. (2020) · Polar Record · doi:10.1017/s0032247420000121 · Cited by 12
Raimbert, C., & Raton, G. (2021) · Développement durable et territoires · doi:10.4000/developpementdurable.18754 · Cited by 12
Evolution of Cooperation with Heterogeneous Conditional Cooperators
Battu, B., Pammi, V. S. C., & Srinivasan, N. (2018) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-22593-2 · Cited by 11
Dogaru, D., Petrişor, A.-I., Angearu, C.-V., Lupu, L., & Bălteanu, D. (2024) · Land · doi:10.3390/land13071084 · Cited by 11
Bonatti, M., Bayer, S. T., Pope, K., Eufemia, L., Turetta, A. P. D., Tremblay, C., & Sieber, S. (2023) · Social Sciences · doi:10.3390/socsci12020071 · Cited by 12
Palmeirim, A. F., Seck, S., Palma, L., et al. (2023) · Environmental Conservation · doi:10.1017/s0376892923000164 · Cited by 11
Bruce, M., Sherman, L., Bruno, E., et al. (2023) · Nature Water · doi:10.1038/s44221-023-00141-1 · Cited by 11
Jibat, E., Senbeta, F., Zeleke, T., et al. (2024) · Environmental Management · doi:10.1007/s00267-024-01966-6 · Cited by 11
Nature-Based Solutions for Conservation and Food Sovereignty in Indigenous Communities of Oaxaca
Acevedo-Ortiz, M. A., Lugo-Espinosa, G., Ortiz-Hernández, Y. D., et al. (2024) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su16188151 · Cited by 11
A mental health focus to amplify climate resilience actions
Mishra, J., Han, H. C., & Ramanathan, V. (2025) · npj Climate Action · doi:10.1038/s44168-025-00263-0 · Cited by 12
Gonçalves, C. M. B., & Pinho, P. (2023) · Progress in Planning · doi:10.1016/j.progress.2023.100811 · Cited by 13
Sullivan, P. A. (2016) · Journal of Technical Writing and Communication · doi:10.1177/0047281616641930 · Cited by 11
Participation and representation in governing multiple-use marine ecosystems
Fudge, M. (2018) · Australian Journal of Maritime & Ocean Affairs · doi:10.1080/18366503.2018.1536314 · Cited by 12
Sigdel, R. P., Anand, M., & Bauch, C. T. (2018) · Theoretical Ecology · doi:10.1007/s12080-018-0394-z · Cited by 11
“…and was the first to formulate eight design principles to regulate the common pool resources through self-organization processes in which the government has only an indirect role, and emergent phenomena including social norms and graduated sanctions help protect the resource (Ostrom, 2015).”
BackgroundClimate Change Inaction and Optimism
Wilson, P. J. (2021) · Philosophies · doi:10.3390/philosophies6030061 · Cited by 15
García, C. T., & Castro, Á. C. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009042826.010 · Cited by 11
Ohno, T. (2022) · International Review of Public Policy · doi:10.4000/irpp.2362 · Cited by 10
Corning, P. A. (2023) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009400404 · Cited by 12
Hedström, P., & Stern, C. (2017) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118430873.est0305 · Cited by 11
Suver, C., Harper, J. R., Loomba, J. J., et al. (2023) · Journal of Clinical and Translational Science · doi:10.1017/cts.2023.681 · Cited by 10
Giagnocavo, C. (2020) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su12239820 · Cited by 10
AŞKUN, V., ÇİZEL, R., & Çızel, B. (2021) · Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi · doi:10.17153/oguiibf.895910 · Cited by 10
Cooperativism as Contestation to Crypto-colonialism in Puerto Rico
Crandall, J., & Vázquez, A. M. (2022) · South Atlantic Quarterly · doi:10.1215/00382876-9826046 · Cited by 10
Looking to the past to shape the future: addressing social-ecological change and adaptive trade-offs
Grier, C., Alessa, L., & Kliskey, A. D. (2017) · Regional Environmental Change · doi:10.1007/s10113-016-1096-y · Cited by 10
NEW COMMONS: TOWARDS A NECESSARY REAPPRAISAL
Berlinguer, M. (2020) · Popular Communication · doi:10.1080/15405702.2020.1781857 · Cited by 10
Participatory Co-design for Sustainable Development
Melles, G. B. (2019) · Encyclopedia of the UN sustainable development goals · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-71067-9_47-1 · Cited by 10
Sustainable Development and Democratic Resilience in the European Union
Ivančík, R., & Dušek, J. (2026) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su18073631 · Cited by 10
Matchar, D. B., Lai, W. X., Kumar, A., Ansah, J. P., & Ng, Y. F. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20054581 · Cited by 10
Commoning urban infrastructures: Lessons from energy, water and housing commons in Barcelona
Varo, A., Hamou, D., de Andés, A. M., Bagué, E., & Wilhelmi, M. A. (2023) · Journal of Urban Affairs · doi:10.1080/07352166.2023.2190025 · Cited by 11
Sundberg, L. R., Gotfredsen, A. C., Christianson, M., Wiklund, M., Hurtig, A., & Goicolea, I. (2024) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/s12913-024-10757-y · Cited by 14
Straub, A. M., Vadjunec, J. M., & Fagin, T. (2024) · Human Ecology · doi:10.1007/s10745-025-00565-1 · Cited by 9
Bartlett, B. (2024) · The New Bioethics · doi:10.1080/20502877.2025.2482282 · Cited by 12
Yuniarti, I., Barnes, C., Glenk, K., & Sutrisno, S. (2021) · Ecosystems and People · doi:10.1080/26395916.2021.1921848 · Cited by 12
NABBEN, R. K., & Zargham, M. (2022) · Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference Proceedings · doi:10.1111/epic.12104 · Cited by 8
‘Informal’ Financial Practices in the South Bronx: Family, Compadres, and Acquaintances
Castro‐Cosio, A. (2023) · Journal of Family and Economic Issues · doi:10.1007/s10834-023-09912-0 · Cited by 9
Des communs au commun : un nouvel horizon sociologique ?
David, P., & Dévédec, N. L. (2021) · SociologieS · doi:10.4000/sociologies.5652 · Cited by 9
Peasants, Agricultural Intensification, and Collective Action in Premodern States
Fargher, L. F., & Blanton, R. E. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009042826.008 · Cited by 10
Water management under climate change: The role of water commons and policy options
Zulfiqar, F., Abid, M., Ullah, R., et al. (2021) · Water and Environment Journal · doi:10.1111/wej.12711 · Cited by 9
Inclusive Sustainability Approaches in Common-Pool Resources from the Perspective of Blackologists
Yitbarek, S., Bailey, K. M., Tyler, S., Strickland, J., McCary, M. A., & Harris, N. C. (2021) · BioScience · doi:10.1093/biosci/biab052 · Cited by 9
Wesselow, M., & Mashele, N. J. (2019) · Human Ecology · doi:10.1007/s10745-019-00116-5 · Cited by 9
Piperno, A., Iaione, C., & Kappler, L. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su15118521 · Cited by 11
Batistic, P. M., Dietz, T., Börner, J., & Damm, Y. (2024) · Sustainable Development · doi:10.1002/sd.3189 · Cited by 13
Jouer avec diverses sources de régulation foncière : le pluralisme sahélien
Papazian, H., D’Aquino, P., Bourgoin, J., et al. (2016) · Économie rurale · doi:10.4000/economierurale.4904 · Cited by 8
Wheildon, L. J., Flynn, A., True, J., & Wild, A. (2023) · Journal of Gender-Based Violence · doi:10.1332/239868021x16842395248135 · Cited by 9
Exploring Democracy in the Anthropocene: The Case of Practices of Collective Care
Rigkos‐Zitthen, I., & Granberg, M. (2024) · Socialism and Democracy · doi:10.1080/08854300.2024.2378397 · Cited by 8
Aguiar, R., Keil, R., Gray, R., & Wiktorowicz, M. E. (2024) · Critical Public Health · doi:10.1080/09581596.2024.2395825 · Cited by 9
Second-Order Science and Policy
Hodgson, A. M., & Leicester, G. (2017) · World Futures · doi:10.1080/02604027.2017.1319710 · Cited by 8
Récup', glanage, zéro déchet : une nouvelle conception du politique ?
Hajek, I. (2021) · Géocarrefour · doi:10.4000/geocarrefour.16302 · Cited by 8
Cheating Promotes Coexistence in a Two-Species One-Substrate Culture Model
Xenophontos, C., Harpole, W. S., Küsel, K., & Clark, A. T. (2022) · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.3389/fevo.2021.786006 · Cited by 9
‘Climate Change isn't Optional’: Climate Change in the Core Law Curriculum
Bouwer, K., John, E., Luke, O., et al. (2022) · Legal Studies · doi:10.1017/lst.2022.35 · Cited by 8
Reactive limits to diaspora enfranchisement policies: a conceptual categorization
Turcu, A. (2017) · Diaspora Studies · doi:10.1080/09739572.2017.1331607 · Cited by 11
Harry Halpin, A. (2019) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-17705-8_16 · Cited by 9
The Process of Development: The Contribution of Régulation Theory
Boyer, R. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-14000-7_6 · Cited by 8
Kasparian, D., & Rebón, J. (2020) · CIRIEC-España revista de economía pública social y cooperativa · doi:10.7203/ciriec-e.98.13940 · Cited by 8
Guimarães, E., Gabriel, R., Sá, A. A., Soares, R. C., Bandeira, P. F. R., Torquato, I. H. S., Moreira, H., Marques, M. M., & Guimarães, J. R. S. (2021) · Geosciences · doi:10.3390/geosciences11020061 · Cited by 8
Ghoochani, O. M., Dorani, M., Ghanian, M., et al. (2017) · Water Conservation Science and Engineering · doi:10.1007/s41101-017-0030-6 · Cited by 8
Les « Sentiers de l’imaginaire », au seuil de la transmodernité
Corneloup, J. (2012) · Éducation relative à l environnement · doi:10.4000/ere.1104 · Cited by 7
The strategy of venue creation: Explaining health policy change in Greece
Mavrikou, M., Zahariadis, N., & Karokis-Mavrikos, V. (2022) · International Review of Public Policy · doi:10.4000/irpp.3018 · Cited by 7
Exploring the importance of climate assemblies for politics in the Anthropocene
Rigkos‐Zitthen, I. (2025) · Environment and Planning F · doi:10.1177/26349825251380287 · Cited by 7
Navigating the Growing Prospects and Growing Pains of Managed Aquifer Recharge
Owen, D., Dahlke, H. E., Fisher, A. T., et al. (2025) · Ground Water · doi:10.1111/gwat.70029 · Cited by 7
Balancing Participation and Speed: A Polycentric Governance Lens on Renewable‐Energy Siting
Katz, J., & Baillargeon, N. (2025) · Policy Studies Journal · doi:10.1111/psj.70091 · Cited by 7
Radonjic-Simic, M., & Pfisterer, D. (2019) · Computers · doi:10.3390/computers8040090 · Cited by 7
“And Make Some Other Man Our King”
Arnold, B. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009042826.006 · Cited by 8
Austrian economics as a relevant research program
Smith, D. J. (2023) · The Review of Austrian Economics · doi:10.1007/s11138-023-00615-1 · Cited by 6
La solidarité écologique, lien de droit d’une interdépendance au vivant
Barrière, O. (2022) · VertigO · doi:10.4000/vertigo.38429 · Cited by 7
Studying a women’s collective from a politics of commoning perspective: the case of Skouries, Greece
Rigkos‐Zitthen, I., & Kapitsinis, N. (2024) · Journal of Cultural Geography · doi:10.1080/08873631.2024.2411928 · Cited by 7
Mbereko, A., Kupika, O. L., & Gandiwa, E. (2017) · Journal of Entrpreneurial and Organizational Diversity · doi:10.5947/jeod.2017.004 · Cited by 7
Sundsvold, B., & Armstrong, C. W. (2019) · Ecosystems and People · doi:10.1080/26395916.2019.1596982 · Cited by 7
“The issue of such broad stakeholder interest must also be considered in developing suitable ES assessment methods (Hardin 1968; Luck et al. 2012; Ostrom 2015).”
Automatic Deep Neural Network Hyper-Parameter Optimization for Maize Disease Detection
Bansal, S., & Kumar, A. (2021) · IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering · doi:10.1088/1757-899x/1022/1/012089 · Cited by 7
Hirth, K. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108859707.011 · Cited by 7
Collective Digital Factories for Buildings: Stigmergic Collaboration Through Cryptoeconomics
Dounas, T., Lombardi, D., & Jabi, W. (2022) · Blockchain technologies · doi:10.1007/978-981-19-3759-0_11 · Cited by 10
Kop, M. (2022) · Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics · doi:10.3389/frma.2022.977684 · Cited by 10
Nictolis, E. D. (2023) · Handbooks in philosophy · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-16960-2_19-1 · Cited by 7
Romagny, B., Aderghal, M., Auclair, L., et al. (2018) · Revue internationale des études du développement · doi:10.3917/ried.233.0053 · Cited by 7
Rationality and Alienation: Themes from Gandhi
Bilgrami, A. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-38784-6_4 · Cited by 7
Bohle, M. (2020) · Geological Society London Special Publications · doi:10.1144/sp508-2019-213 · Cited by 7
How should we sustain future forests under extreme risk?
Nelson, H. W., & Scorah, H. (2021) · Canadian Journal of Forest Research · doi:10.1139/cjfr-2020-0315 · Cited by 7
Ng, M. S., Hall, D., & Hsieh, S. (2022) · Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction · doi:10.1061/(asce)la.1943-4170.0000578 · Cited by 7
Sauvêtre, P. (2021) · SociologieS · doi:10.4000/sociologies.5674 · Cited by 7
Hagstrom, G. I., & Levin, S. A. (2016) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/056838 · Cited by 7
Un nouveau souffle pour les consorteries de la Vallée d’Aoste
Louvin, R., & Alessi, N. P. (2021) · Revue de géographie alpine · doi:10.4000/rga.8249 · Cited by 6
Antonucci, M. C., Sorice, M., & Volterrani, A. (2022) · Frontiers in Political Science · doi:10.3389/fpos.2022.970958 · Cited by 7
Metadata
- Authors
- Ostrom, E.
- Venue
- Cambridge University Press eBooks
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Published
- 2015-09-23
- OpenAlex
- W4253773297
- Cited by
- 965
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 127 · 2025: 141 · 2024: 101 · 2023: 85 · 2022: 80 · 2021: 117 · 2020: 95 · 2019: 61 · 2018: 87 · 2017: 43 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 5
- FWCI
- 52.59
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cambridge University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Economic Theory and Institutions
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies
- Keywords
- commons governance, common-pool resources, tragedy of the commons, institutional analysis, state control of natural resources, privatization, voluntary organizations, meadows, forests, irrigation communities, water rights, fisheries, natural resource policy
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review