Elinor Ostrom
James Walker
Jacqui Bauer
513 North Park; IUB
(812) 855-0441
(812) 855-3150 FAX
E-Mail Center
The Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis emphasizes the interdisciplinary study of institutions and the application of theory to policy-related research. Research focuses on the effect of institutional arrangements upon the incentives that people face, as well as the overall outcomes on important issues of public policy.
Much of the Workshop's empirical research has centered on the impact of institutions on the management of common-pool resources (fisheries, irrigation systems, forests, etc.) and in collective action in urban areas of the U.S. and increasingly in Africa . The Workshop is a founding member of the Consortium for Self-Governance in Africa, an association of teaching and research centers and research-action organizations in Africa and the United States (see http://www.indiana.edu/~csga/ ). In conjunction with other organizations, Workshop scholars participate in a long-term research program investigating interactions among institutions, forestry resources, and global environmental change (see http://www.indiana.edu/~ifri and http://www.cipec.org/ ). Workshop scholars apply similar modes of analysis to empirical studies of field settings and to experimental studies of small-group interaction.
The Workshop offers some support for graduate students and visiting scholars or practitioners engaged in the study of how institutions enhance or inhibit the capabilities of communi tie s to better cope with social dilemmas. The Workshop Library maintains the largest collection of materials on common-pool resource systems throughout the world, many of which are listed on the Digital Library of the Commons (see http://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/ ).
