Who Owns America?: Social Conflict Over Property Rights
Land ownership by individual citizens is a cornerstone of American heritage and a centerpiece of the American dream. Thomas Jefferson called it the key to our success as a democracy. Yet the question of who owns America not only remains unanswered but is central to a fundamental conflict that can pit private property rights advocates against government policymakers and environmentalists.\ Land use authority Harvey M. Jacobs has gathered a provocative collection of...
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Land ownership by individual citizens is a cornerstone of American heritage and a centerpiece of the American dream. Thomas Jefferson called it the key to our success as a democracy. Yet the question of who owns America not only remains unanswered but is central to a fundamental conflict that can pit private property rights advocates against government policymakers and environmentalists.Land use authority Harvey Jacobs has gathered a provocative collection of perspectives from eighteen contributors in the fields of law, history, anthropology, economics, sociology, forestry, and environmental studies. Who Owns America? begins with the popular view of land ownership as seen though the television show Bonanza! It examines public regulation of private land; public land management; the roles culture and ethnic values play in land use; and concludes with Jacobs' title essay.Who Owns America? is a powerful and illuminating exploration of the very certain that makes us Americans. Its broad set of theoretical and historical perspectives will fascinate historians, environmental activists, policy makers, and all who care deeply about the land we share.
Maps and TablesPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction. Bonanza! The Unasked Questions: Domestic Land Tenure through International Lenses3Pt. IPrivate Property Rights and the Public Interest1Rousseau's Revenge: The Demise of the Freehold Estate192The "Wisdom," but Uncertain Future, of the Wise Use Movement293Private Property Rights with Responsibilities: What Would Thomas Jefferson Say about the "Wise Use" Movement?454Turning NEPA on Its Head: Assessments That Advance Property Rights at the Expense of the Environment54Pt. IIPrivate Interests in Public Lands5Land Tenure, Land Policy, and the Property Rights Debate796Markets and Ethics in U.S. Property Law947Leaving the Land Behind: Struggles for Land Reform in U.S. Federal Policy, 1933-19651148Ecosystem Management: Who's Entitled?131Pt. IIILand, Culture, and Place9Cultural Dimensions of Land Tenure in the United States15910Forest Tenure and Cultural Landscapes: Environmental Histories in the Kickapoo Valley18211Land Tenure and Ecosystem Management in Indian Country20812The Political Economy of Land Tenure: Appalachia and the Southeast227Conclusion: Who Owns America?245Contributors253Index256
