Tragedy of the Commons Flashcards
What does ‘the tragedy of the commons’ refer to?
When individual users, acting independently according to their self-interest, behave contrary to the common good of all users by depleting or spoiling a shared resource
What are common pool resources?
Goods that are available to everyone, like air, oceans, or a public park
What are common pool resources susceptible to?
overuse and depletion
Why are common pool resources susceptible to overuse?
It is hard to exclude people from utilizing them
Why do these common pool resources get depleted?
The benefits of exploitation go to individuals, while the costs are distributed among all users. The incentive to conserve is diminished unless collective action or regulation is imposed
What is Hardin’s view on common pool resources?
1) Pessimistic
2) Technological solutions alone cannot solve problems like overpopulation and depletion because they do not address underlying issue of human behavior
3) Relying on conscience or moral appeals selects against those with a conscience
4) Only viable solution lies in mutual coercion (enforcement of sustainable usage norms) or privatization
What is Ostrom’s view on Hardin’s view/the cpr problem?
1) A more nuanced view
2) neither state control nor privatization are uniformly successful in enabling sustainble use of cpr
3) emphasizes the potential role of local communities to govern their resources through institutions
What are some core elements of Ostrom’s critique of Hardin’s view?
1) diversity of successful governance; numerous communities have successfully managed without resorting to state intervention or complete privatization
2) underestimation of local governance capabilities; devising their own solutions
3) Overreliance on theoretical models; these models presume inevitable failure in the absence of external intervention, they fail to capture the complexity of real-world interactions and local problem-solving
4) Underestimates the potential for collective action
What are Ostrom’s alternative approaches?
1) institutional diversity (based on unique circumstances and cultural contexts)
2) empirical grounding of policies (what works in specific contexts rather than relying on generalized models)
3) enhancing local capabilities (governing themselves)
4) flexibility and adaptability (responding to environmental changes and social dynamics)
