A Comprehensive Taxonomy of Rules for Nuanced Analysis of Governance Systems

Understanding how institutions shape collective action requires analytical tools that capture the complexity of governance arrangements. Ostrom's typology of rules provides a foundational framework for examining institutional configurations, yet limited specificity in rule types reduces its effectiveness in comparative analysis. To address this, we present a detailed classification of the seven rule types into subtypes, enhancing the study of institutional diversity and structure. Based on the initial description of the seven rule types, a systematic review of scientific articles, an analysis of written regulations, and an internal mutual exclusivity check, we propose a taxonomy that expands the seven types into subtypes. Utilizing these detailed subtypes enables a more comprehensive characterization of institutional configurations, thereby strengthening comparisons of governance systems.