Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Managing the Commons [was Who pays the maintenance costs of common washers and dryers?

[Brian Bartholomew (bartholomew.brian]

> https://www.sociocracy.info/ostrom-eight-rules-for-successfully-governing-a-commons/

> Ostrom was addressing the economic theory, Tragedy of the Commons,
> that maintains private property is the only means of protecting
> finite resources from ruin or depletion. Contradicting the classic
> example of a village commons ruined by overgrazing, she conducted
> research on a Swiss village with private plots for crops but a
> communal meadow for grazing cows. Ostrom discovered were no problems
> with overgrazing. In 1517, the villagers agreed that no one was
> allowed to graze more cows than they could care for over the
> winter. Even if that agreement fell apart after she published in
> 1990, it had worked for 473 years.

I don't believe those rules are fundamental causes, I believe they are
the effects of other details which are making them work.

There is no given reason why 100% of geographic neighbors should all
commit to these rules.  I speculate about more fundamental causes:
Religious uniformity, do it or God punishes you?  Genetic uniformity,
they are all extended family?

Why would the agreement fall apart in 1990?  Some aspect of improved
communication or travel or wealth which broke/evaded the more
fundamental rules?

Brian