Here we document problems of commons-based governance [aka *commonance*], which haven't been adressed sufficiently in FFA and the Triad of Commoning. Some of them haven't been adressed at all, nor in FFA nor elsewhere. We consider them "unresolved issues in commons theory as they affect political economy and society".
To tackle these problems is of utmost importance for three reasons: - they manifest over and over again - resolving these problems is a condition for co-creating and supporting legal, institutional, generative - systems that support or at least accommodate commoning - if these issues remain unadressed, commons can hardly evolve and grow into larger systems
**Methodologically**, we "pin down" each problem by formulating a question. This proved to be a useful approach and it helps relating the problem we focus on to the current dominant way of societal and economic organization.
The relevance of these problems can be better understood if we remember the important functions currently being performed by the State or the market. If the commons are not just considered a "third sphere" -- next to and clearly distinguished from the market and the State -- but unterstood as a specific quality and type of governance, then rethinking these functions from a commons perspective is a crucial step forward. Only then we can start painting the bigger picture of commons governance at scale.
Mining macro patterns of commoning and inscribing them in commons-friendly institutions is a powerful a design structural feature that shapes the choices available to agents in a system. The patterns we are researching will help creating societal conditions that allow self-reinforcing commoning. So, here we go...
**Key questions**
- Where does enforcement (the ability to enforce) come from if not from the state monopoly on the use of force or from the use of weapons? **Can commoners govern larger-scale action without drawing on monopoly powers?** [In German: Woher kommt Durchsetzungsfähigkeit/ Gestaltungsfähigkeit, wenn nicht aus dem staatlichen Gewaltmonopol oder aus der Gewalt der Waffen?]
- **What commons-friendly forms of recognition can complement and/or substitute for money at a societal level?** Money is not just a means of exchange, but the dominant token of reward. To harness the destructive power of money, it's important to rethink means of recognition, not only at the level of individual and social psychology, but at a system level. The question is: How does a commons-friendly allocation and circulation of recognition & rewards look like?. [In German: Woher kommt Anerkennung, wenn nicht vom Geld)?]
- **How can commons "out-compete" markets and services, or provide similar or better "professonalism" and quality of results?** NOTE: We had trouble determining if it is indeed the question we want to ask. Should commoners be striving to become productive enough to out-compete capitalist markets? If so, how to link this to the value & qualitative issues at stake? Corporate professionalism & product branding and quality, e.g., may not be desired when the alternative is customized, local, vernacular, artisanal outputs. However, moving away from markets as the standard reference for performance at the macro-level requires concrete ways of strengthening the macro-performance of commons.The notion of multifunctionality is key. [In German: Woraus resultiert "Produktivität" im erweiterten Sinne?]
This question could be split into two:
-> **How is quality generated and assured?** (social)
-> **How do commons alternatives gain ground against market competitors?** (economic)
- **Where does commons-based security derive from and how is it being enacted?** [In German: Woher kommt die commons-gemäße soziale Absicherung?] See Bollier/Helfrich: Caring and Thriving 
- **How to interconnect and create synergies among commons?**
**More questions to be discussed** - Wie ist Haftung/ Gewährleistung in Commons organisiert? - How to build trust among diverse players transpersonally? What sorts of institutional spaces & power are needed?
- What forms of mediation can actively engage our inner selves and social solidarity at scale, to prevent racism, sexism, classism, and other such othering from taking root? The current situation is: Nationalism and patriotism are the state's way of speaking to the inner need for meaning, belonging and social solidarity (undifferentiated relational ontology), but it quashes individual agency. Liberalism asserts a legal and policy neutrality and equality among people, but the reality is that better-off cohorts of people are able to game the system (lawyers, lobbyists, experts, etc.) to secure private advantages -- while the jurisprudence, science, and bureaucracy functions as a meritocratic cover story and justification for often-unfair results.
- How to move beyond "electoral democratic representation" without generating any form of pyramide-like goveranance structure? - - How can we take into account unpredictable unintended outcomes? -> we can't. the future is contingent - How to overcome restrictive/ excluding norms and structures? Or such norms which restrict agency? - How to actively nurture the rate of application of commoning approaches? This is of utmost importance because the rate of application is more important than a concrete "outcome" in a specific situation. - How to deal with urgency? (according to Alexander patterns should be mined and applied in such a way that they help to create living, generative entities and diachronic models - that incorporate the time dimension) (Alexander: 1996 Patterns in Architecture at OOPSLA, San José California)
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