Stewarding the Commons

Abstract

The term ‘commons’ has been recently popular amongst both academic and lay audiences. It has not in all instances been well served. And while the lay audience seems very much to appreciate the term ‘stewardship’ as appropriate to the work of groups dealing with resource management - whether as a commons or as ‘appropriators’ (to use a term favored originally by Nobel laureate Elinor Ostrom) - it has not caught on everywhere one might have expected. I indicate my reasons for thinking that the present state of the theory of the commons and of the terminology surrounding it represents in some instances a failure to reprise outworn usages and as such invites confusion. This short essay represents the author’s attempt to briefly summarize the argument for a clear and comprehensive approach to theory and some portion of the relevant terminology. I believe that the importance of the concept makes an update as important as useful, whereat I especially recommend that the entire concept be reframed under the dual concepts of office and stewardship. Being completely theoretical and hortatory the article will utilize no references. It is expected that the arguments stand on their own or fail likewise. Those interested in the papers reliant on references will find them on my author page here on SSRN.