Member-only story

Vincent Ostrom: A Quest To Understand Human Affairs

Jordan Blair

·18.2k Followers· Follow

Published in The Practice Of Constitutional Development: Vincent Ostrom S Quest To Understand Human Affairs

4 min read · 2 weeks before

270 View Claps

46 Respond

Save

Listen

Vincent Ostrom was an American political scientist and economist who made significant contributions to the study of public administration, public choice, and institutional analysis. He is best known for his work on the theory of polycentricity, which argues that complex social systems are best governed by multiple, overlapping jurisdictions.

The Practice of Constitutional Development: Vincent Ostrom's Quest to Understand Human Affairs

by Filippo Sabetti

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2375 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	272 pages

Early Life and Education

Vincent Ostrom was born in 1923 in Los Angeles, California. He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1943. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he returned to Berkeley and earned his master's degree in public administration in 1948. In 1953, he earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Career

After completing his doctorate, Ostrom joined the faculty of the University of Indiana Bloomington, where he taught for the rest of his career. He was a prolific writer and researcher, and he published over 20 books and 100 articles. His work on polycentricity has been particularly influential in the field of public administration, and it has been used to explain a wide range of social phenomena, from the governance of natural resources to the provision of public services.

Theory of Polycentricity

The theory of polycentricity is based on the idea that complex social systems are best governed by multiple, overlapping jurisdictions. This is because no single jurisdiction can have all of the information and expertise necessary to make good decisions about all of the issues that affect a given system. By creating multiple jurisdictions, each with its own unique set of responsibilities and authorities, we can increase the likelihood that all of the relevant information will be taken into account when making decisions.

Ostrom argued that polycentricity is particularly well-suited for governing complex social systems because it allows for experimentation and learning. When multiple jurisdictions are responsible for the same issue, they can experiment with different policies and approaches. This experimentation can lead to the development of new and better ways to address the issue in question.

Legacy

Vincent Ostrom was a pioneering scholar who made significant contributions to the study of public administration, public choice, and institutional analysis. His work on polycentricity has been particularly influential, and it has helped to shape our understanding of how complex social systems can be governed effectively. Ostrom's legacy will continue to inspire scholars and policymakers for many years to come.

Vincent Ostrom was a brilliant scholar who made significant contributions to the study of public administration, public choice, and institutional analysis. His work on polycentricity is a major intellectual achievement, and it has helped to shape our understanding of how complex social systems can be governed effectively. Ostrom's legacy will continue to inspire scholars and policymakers for many years to come.

The Practice of Constitutional Development: Vincent Ostrom's Quest to Understand Human Affairs

by Filippo Sabetti

5 out of 5