How do you get people to follow the rules around maintaining a common pool resource? This is at the core of Ostrom's design principles for analyzing long enduring CPRs. There are always short term incentives for people to break the rules so what keeps them committed?

One thing that Ostrom points to in successful examples is that monitoring and sanctions for breaking rules are not done by external authorities; but rather, these are done by users of the resource themselves—often by appointing designated people to enforce. There are also rewards or benefits for those who catch rule breakers.

What holds all of this together is the shared reality they are in. It would not work if it was externally forced on them. Users of the resource willingly submit themselves to this because they all share in the benefits and all suffer if the system fails. This is why the enforcer/monitor being one of them is so important. They aren't separate from the system, their fate is entwined with it. It's why they often show leniency in certain situations for first time infractions, seeing themselves in the culprit while also coming down harshly on repeat offenders whose actions threaten the whole.

People need to feel a sense of ownership to the system. They have to trust that it's serving everyone's best interest and that everyone else is committed to it. They need to feel that they have a say in shaping it if and when something needs to change. It cannot be put upon them, it must feel like they are choosing it.