On the selection of Elinor Ostrom for the Frank E. Seidman Distinguished Award in Political Economy in 1997, I was invited to the award ceremony to say a few words. A colleague asked me who the recipient was, and I said "Elinor Ostrom."
His response was so enthusiastic that I asked how he knew about her. He said he owned a house on a parcel on a lake, along with 18 others, and the lake had become so polluted that they all had to stop using fertilizer and get rid of any horses or chickens near the lake water. They had no governing organization to compel cooperation, but inspired by Ostrom's work they negotiated among themselves to adopt some rules. I asked whether everybody complied with the rules. He said "all but one, but we're still talking."
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