The Ecology of Games as a Theory of Polycentricity: Recent Advances and Future Challenges

2019/02/01 by Ramiro Berardo, Mark Lubell · 4 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Social Sciences · #Evolution and Genetic Dynamics #Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation #Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies

paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/psj.12313

openalex publication_date 2019/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/26

Abstract

The Ecology of Games approach to examining complex governance systems in democratic societies has been recently refurbished to infuse renewed vitality in the analysis of institutions and collective action in polycentric governance systems. This opening article to the special issue on the Ecology of Games Theory (EGT) will discuss the main component elements of the theory, as well as recently produced empirical advances that test and extend it. The article is structured in three sections. The first section describes the EGT as a theory of polycentricity and explains why it is critical to study both the structure and function of polycentric governance systems, including collaboration among policy stakeholders, learning about problems, and equitably distributing the resources generated by policy interactions. The second section reviews empirical evidence that examine structure and function in polycentric systems, including their coevolution. Finally, the third section will provide insights on future research needs to strengthen this newly developed theory of polycentricity.

Citations

• The Institutional Collective Action Framework
• The Nature of the Firm
• Resilience: The emergence of a perspective for social–ecological systems analyses
• Polycentric systems for coping with collective action and global environmental change
• Regional Governance and Institutional Collective Action for Environmental Sustainability
• Polycentric Systems of Governance: A Theoretical Model for the Commons

Cited by

• Building blocks of polycentric governance
• Policy Design and Governance Effectiveness: The Role of Non‐Linearities in Urban Water Management
• Policy issue interdependency and the formation of collaborative networks
• Identifying and explaining policy preferences in Swiss water management

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• Governing Institutional Complexity: The Ecology of Games Framework
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• Empirical research on polycentric governance: Critical gaps and a framework for studying long‐term change
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