PS 175/ES 178 Course Blog: Week 6: Common Pool Resource Problems & Collective Action

Common Pool Resource Problems & Collective Action - Readings:

Garrett Hardin, "The Tragedy of the Commons," Science 162 (December 13, 1968), 1243-1248.

David Feeny, Fikret Berkes, Bonnie J. McCay, and James M. Acheson, "The Tragedy of the Commons: Twenty-Two Years Later." Human Ecology, 18 (1990): 1-19.

Judith Layzer, The Environmental Case, chaps 2, 6-9

Concepts

Tradegy of the commons
Common pool resources
Common-property resources

Discussion Questions

In plain English, what is “the Tragedy of the Commons?”
What is the literal Commons to which we must all pay attention?
What assumptions are cited early in the paper (including the philosophy of Adam Smith)?
How would you define “good” as it relates to quality of life? Consider the “maximum good per person” and its implications according to your definition.
What do you see as the role of technology in addressing the situation of human population growth in light of the global commons?
Hardin’s paper addresses many issues of his time that are currently still of international importance. Hardin himself recognizes one problem, however, as paramount, and responsible for all of the specific problems he addresses. What is that one issue?
Do you agree with Hardin’s assessment? What do you think should be done to address this issue on a global scale?

General Questions

How does capitalist competition make the tragedy of the commons worse?
Society has many commons. What are some examples?
How do games and metaphors, such as the Prisonners' Dilemma and the Tragedy of the Commons game, help us better understand common-pool resource and collective action problems?
What are the limitations of these games and metaphors?
Two key elements may prevent tragedy. What are they?
What are the three main ways to solve common-pool resource problems? What are each of these three solutions conditioned on? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each solution? Which approach do you think works best? Any critiques?

Tragedy of the Commons - An Introduction