Forget the Peace Prize, here's the Nobel you SHOULD notice


Three cheers for private associations!

Unlike the Peace Prize, the other prizes require measurable results.

Part of me just can't help wonder at the juxtaposition. One winner of this year's Nobel Prize for Economics has some fascinating ideas.

Elinor Ostrom's work culminated in Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action which uses case studies to argue that around the world private associations have often, but not always, managed to avoid the tragedy of the commons and develop efficient uses of resources.  (Ostrom summarizes some of her findings from this research here).  Using game theory she provided theoretical underpinnings for these findings and using experimental methods she put these theories to the test in the lab.

That is incredibly important.

Unlike government solutions that promise total solutions but seldom deliver, solutions based in private associations often (but not always) work.

I'd say this is amazingly ironic considering that this year's Peace Prize winner wants to do away with the free market and voluntary associations.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Mon - October 12, 2009 at 01:30 PM  Tag


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