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development of institutions that bring out the best in humans. We need to
ask how diverse polycentric institutions help or hinder the innovativeness,
learning, adapting, trustworthiness, levels of cooperation of participants, and
the achievement of more effective, equitable, and sustainable outcomes at
multiple scales (toonen 2010).
to explain the world of interactions and outcomes occurring at multiple
levels, we also have to be willing to deal with complexity instead of rejecting
it. some mathematical models are very useful for explaining outcomes in
particular settings. We should continue to use simple models where they
capture enough of the core underlying structure and incentives that they
usefully predict outcomes. When the world we are trying to explain and
improve, however, is not well described by a simple model, we must continue
to improve our frameworks and theories so as to be able to understand
complexity and not simply reject it.
acknoWledGMents
i wish to thank vincent ostrom and my many colleagues at the Workshop
who have worked with me throughout the years to develop the research
program that is briefly discussed herein. i appreciate the helpful suggestions
given me by arun agrawal, andreas leibbrandt, Mike McGinnis, Jimmy
Walker, tom Wisdom, and by the applied theory Working Group and
the experimental reading Group, and the excellent editing skills of Patty
lezotte. essential support received over the years from the ford foundation,
the Macarthur foundation, and the national science foundation is grate-
fully acknowledged.
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