Summary
This paper, co-authored by Elinor Ostrom (a leading scholar of commons governance), explores the theoretical and practical challenges of extrapolating lessons from small-scale social dilemma research to larger-scale collective action problems. The authors likely discuss the conditions under which micro-level institutional insights remain valid or require modification when applied to complex, multi-layered governance contexts. The work reflects on the scalability of evidence-based governance principles, a question of relevance to food system and agricultural policy.
Regional applicability
As a theoretical treatise on governance scaling, the paper's insights apply broadly across jurisdictions including the United Kingdom, though it does not address UK-specific policy or agricultural contexts directly. The principles discussed may inform how UK farming and food system governance at local, regional, and national scales can draw on proven small-scale institutional designs.
Key measures
Comparative analysis of governance mechanisms across scales; applicability of experimental findings to real-world systems
Outcomes reported
Examines whether institutional and governance principles demonstrated in small-scale social dilemma experiments can be meaningfully applied to larger, more complex resource management and collective action challenges.
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