No Tragedy on the Commons

Abstract

"The historical antecedents of Garret Hardin's 'tragedy of the commons' lie in the common grazing lands of medieval England. The concept of the commons current at that time is significantly different from the modern concept. The English common was not available to the general public but only to certain individuals who inherited or were granted the right to use it. The decline of the commons systems is attributed to widespread abuse of the rules governing its use, land reforms, and the effects of the industrial revolution. The traditional commons system isn't an example of an inherently flawed land use policy, but of policy which succeeded in its time."