Who Owns America?: Social Conflict over Property Rights

by Harvey M. Jacobs (Editor)

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.

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 13, 1998

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of research about the nature of land ownership/tenure in the United States. The articles cover a variety of aspects related to social and economic capital and how land is tied into both. Each article presents information on the responsibilities and rights of property owners and also on how land ownership is continually evolving in the US. It is worrisome just how much private land is in the hands of a few mega landowners nationwide and how these corporate, typically absentee owners are ultimately detrimental to the local populations.

[Taylar]

Edited by one of my professors, a leading scholar on land use/ land use planning; this is also a textbook for his class.

[Brian Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent collection of essays tackling issues of land tenure in the United States.