This article examines common property institutions in Kenya, specifically among Maasai pastoralists.

The Theories:

* Rational choice scholarship offers two main explanations for institutional emergence: cooperation theory and conflict theory.

Our Approach:

* We evaluate these theories empirically to understand why political institutions change.

Contrasting Findings:

* Contrary to expectations, our results show that common property institution formation is best explained by conflict dynamics rather than cooperative ones.

* This finding challenges the intuitive link between peaceful collaboration and institutional creation.

Why It Matters:

* Our research demonstrates how conflict theory provides insights into real-world political transformations.