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COMMONS MAGAZINE

Politics and Government

Just as government is needed to help markets function efficiently and fairly, government is also necessary to facilitate a thriving commons – through regulatory oversight, access mandates, taxes and due process. Yet a key point of the commons movement is that government is not the sole means for fulfilling the aspirations of “we the people.”

January 15, 2014

Public Water Systems Can Help the War on Poverty

Rising water costs aggravate low-income families' problems
January 10, 2014

The Story of Vincent and Elinor Ostrom

Barbara Allen, a longtime student and friend with access to their personal papers, chronicles the Ostroms' life and work in a new film
January 9, 2014

Its Been a Very Bad Month For the Private Sector

Mounting evidence that privatizing public services costs us more money
January 8, 2014

The Slow Unnatural Death of Our Personal Space

Deregulation brings us cramped airplane seats and increased TV ads
January 7, 2014

Discovering a Legal Tool to Curb Climate Change

A new book champions the commons-based Public Trust Doctrine for saving the earth
December 3, 2013

Why Mayors Should Rule the World

They can solve problems national governments can't says political theorist Benjamin Barber
November 29, 2013

What’s Good for Bill Gates Turns Out To Be Bad For Public Schools

And, actually, bad for Microsoft too, as we learned recently
November 25, 2013

Building the Good Society

Notes toward a political platform for the commons
November 19, 2013

Yes to Amazon.com. No to the Public!

Welcome to the new post office
November 9, 2013

Stop the Presses!

University of Chicago economist discovers that government regulation works!