# Research Areas | Governance Ecologies

# Research Areas

Our research explores governance practices across different cultures, time periods, and contexts. We’re particularly interested in governance forms that offer alternatives to dominant contemporary approaches.

### Ancient Democratic Practices

## Democracy Beyond Athens

While Athenian democracy is widely studied, many other societies throughout history have developed democratic and participatory governance systems. This research area examines these diverse models of democratic practice.

Our research challenges the narrative that democracy is exclusively a Western invention, exploring participatory governance practices from:

- The Indian subcontinent, including the Sangha traditions and early republics
- Pre-colonial governance in Africa
- Mesoamerican and South American participatory systems
- Island societies of the Pacific
- Medieval European commons and guild structures

## Current Projects

- Comparative study of sortition (selection by lot) across cultures
- Women’s participation in ancient democratic systems
- Documentation of consensus processes in non-state societies
- Resource governance in ancient democratic systems

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### Commons Governance

## Governing Shared Resources

Throughout history, communities have developed sophisticated systems for managing shared resources. This research area explores these commons governance traditions and their relevance to contemporary challenges.

Building on Elinor Ostrom’s groundbreaking work, we examine:

- Long-lasting commons systems from different regions
- Institutional design principles for sustainable resource management
- Knowledge commons and cultural commons governance
- Digital commons and their governance structures
- The relationship between commoning practices and broader governance systems

## Current Projects

- Alpine commons for forest and pasture management
- Irrigation systems governance across cultures
- Urban commons in historical perspective
- Historical seed and plant genetic resource sharing systems
- Traditional fisheries management

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### Indigenous Governance

## Indigenous Governance Traditions

This research area focuses on governance practices from indigenous communities worldwide, exploring their approaches to consensus-building, resource management, conflict resolution, and leadership.

Indigenous governance systems often embody principles that differ significantly from Western state models, including:

- Deep integration of governance with cultural and spiritual practices
- Emphasis on consensus rather than majority rule
- Responsibilities to non-human beings and future generations
- Distributed leadership models
- Oral traditions for encoding and transmitting governance knowledge

## Current Projects

- Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy decision-making structures
- Aboriginal Australian consensus processes
- Andean ayllu governance systems
- Arctic indigenous resource management practices

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