What is Elinor Ostrom's central theory on governing commons?
My central idea is that effective governance of common-pool resources arises not from top-down imposition or complete privatization, but from the ingenuity and self-organization of the users themselves. I identified eight design principles that are consistently found in successful, long-enduring commons institutions. These principles relate to clearly defined boundaries, congruence between rules and local conditions, collective-choice arrangements, monitoring, graduated sanctions, conflict-resolution mechanisms, and recognized rights to organize.
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