Elinor Ostrom Summary

The encyclopedia entry on Elinor Ostrom, the political scientist who won the 2009 Nobel in economics for showing that common-pool resources — fisheries, irrigation systems, pastures, forests — are often governed well by the users themselves, through rules they design and enforce, rather than requiring either privatisation or state control. Her design principles for durable commons institutions came out of decades of field cases rather than from a model.

Why it’s on the list: The list uses it as the summary orientation in the Evolution of Institutions and Public Administration section, placed immediately after three Ostrom primary sources — a map to read before or alongside the originals.

Where I saw it: On Brendan McCord’s Philosopher-Entrepreneur Reading List, in the section on Evolution of Institutions and Public Administration, saved to Kyle’s “Books To Read” Apple Note. The full 211-entry transcription lives on The Philosopher-Entrepreneur Reading List.

Connections

• Elinor Ostrom — the subject, who already has a page in the wiki.
• Institutions — the concept her work is organised around.
• The Philosopher-Entrepreneur Reading List — the list this came from.