The Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis emphasizes theory and its application to policy-related research. Research focuses on the effect of institutional arrangements on the incentives that people face and, consequently, on the way people behave. Much of the empirical research has centered on the impact of institutions upon collective action in US urban areas and upon those who extract resources from common pools throughout the world. A major study of institutions and forests is allowing researchers to examine the interrelationships between local and global commons. Empirical studies of small-scale fisheries, irrigation systems, grazing areas, and forests are being compared in similarly structured, small-group experiments. The workshop offers both pre-and post-doctoral fellowships and research appointments. The workshop facilities in Woodburn Hall contain a major archive of common-pool resource systems worldwide and a Geographic Information System (GIS) lab.