After revisiting the Ostroms’ work at the boundary between the domains of Public Choice
and Public Administration we are left with a clearer understanding of the nature and
significance of their effort as well as with a more realistic assessment of its success and
impact. Indeed, impressive as it is in its impact and recognition, in the light of all of the
above, the Ostroms’ achievement seems to be far from capturing the real potential of their
ambitious project. To fully understand why that is the case requires a separate discussion in
itself, and this paper has only sketched the beginnings of that discussion.