The Architecture of the Common Good: Reframing the Tragedy of the Commons in Public Administration

This systematic literature review examines the long-standing problem of the tragedy of the commons within the field of public administration. Through a synthetic evaluation of institutional diagnostic and organizational analysis tools, this study deconstructs the traditional dichotomy between centralized state control and local self-governance. The findings reveal a critical interpretive gap: the lack of a coherent theoretical framework for the active, architectural role of the state. To fill this gap, the article develops a synthetic conceptual framework that redefines public administration not as a direct manager or an absent observer, but as an architect of multilevel, polycentric governance systems. This role involves providing institutional support, ensuring access to reliable information, managing cross-scale linkages, and guaranteeing conflict resolution. This approach shifts the focus from a search for a single solution toward the design of resilient institutional ecologies.