This article traces the origin of collective action study since the 1960s，reviews theoretical paradigms and intellectual development，in domain of common governance. It focuses on how collective action dilemma occurs，why it happened，and how to overcome the dilemma. Key findings：in the field of common governance，the theory evolution can be summarized as the neo-institutionalism，empowering school and community-based natural resource management，in which the neo-institutionalism has been mainly adopted by domestic empirical studies.