ABSTRACT
Human civilization is built on humanity’s capacity for cooperation. Cooperation is necessary to provide the public good and overcome fundamental societal dilemmas, such as competition over limited resources and opportunities, which can contribute to war and environmental degradation (Parks et al. 2013). Broad-scale cooperation is supported by governance systems that promote rule-abiding behavior and direct members of society with diverse interests and beliefs towards more cooperative outcomes (Ostrom 1998; Tyler 2006). For example, in a common-pool resource (CPR) dilemma, stakeholders compete to use a shared resource (e.g., water) and are tempted to harvest more than their share (Hardin 1968). Without effective governance, such as conservation agreements and regulatory systems to limit consumption, smooth coordination, and build mutual trust, these stakeholders may collectively destroy the resource, destabilizing society and undermining human welfare (UNGA 2015).
