**Commons** (also known as **Common, Collective** or*' Community
Ownership*') refers to a way of managing and owning
[land](land "wikilink"), natural resources and industry in collective
and democratic manner for the benefit of all in society as opposed to
[state](state "wikilink") or [private
ownership](Private_Ownership "wikilink").

## Successful Commons

According to economist [Elinor Ostrom](Elinor_Ostrom "wikilink"), the
success of the commons depends on eight key factors:

1.  Clearly defined (clear definition of the contents of the common pool
    resource and effective exclusion of external un-entitled parties);
2.  The appropriation and provision of common resources that are adapted
    to local conditions;
3.  Collective-choice arrangements that allow most resource
    appropriators to participate in the decision-making process;
4.  Effective monitoring by monitors who are part of or accountable to
    the appropriators;
5.  A scale of graduated sanctions for resource appropriators who
    violate community rules;
6.  Mechanisms of conflict resolution that are cheap and of easy access;
7.  Self-determination of the community recognized by higher-level
    authorities; and
8.  In the case of larger common-pool resources, organization in the

form of multiple layers of nested enterprises, with small local CPRs at
the base level.