Evolutionary Perspectives on the Commons: A Model of Commonisation and Decommonisation

Commons (or common-pool resources) are inherently dynamic. Factors that appear to contribute the evolution of a stable commons regime at one time and place may undergo change results in collapse another. The factors involved can be very diverse. Economic, social, environmental political conditions various drivers lead commonisation, process through which resource is converted into joint-use under institutions collective action. Conversely, they decommonisation, loses these essential characteristics. Evolution commonisation manifested as adaptation or fine-tuning over time. They instead result replacement kind property rights by another, enclosure movement English history resulted conversion sheep grazing privatized agricultural land. These processes viewed from an evolutionary perspective using concepts theorized two-way time, with implications for sustainability joint resources local global.