ove ) ▁are ▁pl ural ist ▁the or ists , ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁the ▁economy ▁functions ▁best ▁if ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁different ▁systems ▁for ▁producing / dist rib uting ▁different ▁kinds ▁of ▁products ▁and ▁services , ▁using ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁property ▁forms . ▁ ▁Historical ▁research ▁is ▁being ▁done ▁on ▁the ▁comm ons , ▁often ▁inspired ▁by ▁El in or ▁Ost rom . ▁This ▁is ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁understand ▁empir ically ▁how ▁people ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁manage ▁land ▁use ▁collect ively ▁for ▁ 5 0 0 ▁years ▁or ▁more , ▁without ▁significant ▁state ▁support ▁or ▁super vision . ▁A ▁frequent ▁compla int ▁in ▁the ▁discussion ▁is ▁that ▁social ists , ▁like ▁their ▁liberal ▁and ▁conserv ative ▁counter parts , ▁conf use ▁an ▁eth ical ▁principle ▁of ▁resource ▁allocation ▁( the ▁" why ") ▁with ▁the ▁economic ▁technique ▁of ▁resource ▁allocation ▁( the ▁" how ") ▁– ▁the ▁result ▁being ▁an ▁economic ▁policy ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁means ▁and ▁the ▁ends ▁are ▁confused . ▁ ▁In ▁almost ▁any ▁society , ▁market ▁and ▁non - market ▁methods ▁of ▁alloc ating ▁resources ▁are ▁in ▁practice ▁combined , ▁which ▁is ▁acknowled ged ▁in ▁official ▁national ▁accounts ▁by ▁the ▁inclusion ▁of ▁market ▁and ▁non - market ▁se ctors . ▁The ▁real ▁question ▁for ▁econom ists ▁is ▁how ▁the ▁two ▁can ▁be ▁combined ▁to ▁achieve ▁the ▁best ▁economic ▁result ▁for ▁citizens , ▁and ▁what ▁the ▁effect ▁is ▁of ▁market ▁and ▁non - market ▁methods ▁on ▁each ▁other . ▁This ▁can ▁be ▁a ▁highly ▁polit ic ized ▁and ▁content