Who owns America? : social conflict over property rights / edited by Harvey M. Jacobs.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Jacobs, Harvey Martin, 1952-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Land tenure--United States.

Land tenure.

Land tenure--Government policy--United States.

Right of property--United States.

Right of property.

Eminent domain--United States.

Eminent domain.

Public lands--United States--Management.

Public lands.

Land use--Environmental aspects--United States.

Land use.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (288 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Madison : University of Wisconsin Press, c1998.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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 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 terrain 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.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

Maps and Tables

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part 1. Private Property Rights and the Public Interest

1. Rousseau's Revenge: The Demise of the Freehold Estate

2. The "Wisdom," but Uncertain Future, of the Wise Use Movement

3. Private Property Rights with Responsibilities: What Would Thomas Jefferson Say about the "Wise Use" Movement?

4. Turning NEPA on Its Head: Assessments That Advance Property Rights at the Expense of the Environment

Part II. Private Interests in Public Lands

5. Land Tenure, Land Policy, and the Property Rights Debate

6. Markets and Ethics in U.S. Property Law

7. Leaving the Land Behind: Struggles for Land Reform in U.S. Federal Policy, 1933-1965

8. Ecosystem Management: Who's Entitled?

Part III. Land, Culture, and Place

9. Cultural Dimensions of Land Tenure in the United States

10. Forest Tenur and Cultural Landscapes: Environmental Histories in the Kickapoo Valley

11. Land Tenure and Ecosystem Management in Indian Country

12. The Political Economy of Land Tenure: Appalachia and the Southeast

Conclusion: Who Owns America?

Contributors

Index.

Notes:

Includes selected papers from a conference held in 1995.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786612424151

9781282424159

1282424157

9780299159931

0299159930