With minor variations between the states, the law governing the use and ownership of real property emerged as part of English common law.
The right of humans to freely cooperate on an open market is the surest way to bring about not only economic, but human harmony.
After putting a “For Sale” sign in the window of his car, which was parked on the street outside his home, Michael Cefali was surprised to receive a $50 ticket from the city of San Juan Capistrano. According to the Orange County Register, Cefali violated a city code which “prohibits the parking of a vehicle […]
YouTube is effectively censoring video content by barring videos that depict controversial subjects from collecting advertising revenue.
Does a ban on signs on the beach infringe on property rights? Edward and DeLanie Goodwin, in partnership with the Pacific Legal Foundation, argue that it does, and have filed a lawsuit with Walden County, Florida. Walden County recently banned all signs on private beach property—this includes “Private Property” and “No Trespassing” signs meant to […]
A few weeks ago, park staff asked Bina Ramesh, a 22-year-old woman celebrating her birthday at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, to change her attire because they deemed it inappropriate—something that Ramesh interpreted as an obvious ploy to discriminate against women. The story does make the park look pretty unsympathetic. It seems […]
Property rights are key for a free society. Since they set out what belongs to whom, they are the foundation for human freedom. Property norms tell us who can do what, with what, and to whom. When securely guaranteed, property rights offer a basis (if not the best basis) for predictability and stability. As social […]
Many voters, especially younger voters, are “feeling the Bern.” But what exactly are they feeling? Generally, these individuals believe that some people (financially successful individuals) owe other people (low-income individuals)—and that some people, like those of the working class or youth demographic, are entitled to receive benefits at the expense of others. Is This an […]
Saving a species from extinction is a daunting and important task. On many occasions, legislation designed to protect endangered species can be both inefficient and ineffective. Protecting the environment has the same problems – no matter how well-intentioned environmental protection laws are, unintended consequences often make bad situations worse, exacerbating pollution and environmental waste. Can […]
Suppose Daniel, a singer, writes a song that becomes very popular. After listening to the song, Josh, another singer, performs it with his own band. How would you respond to Daniel’s complaints that Josh stole his song? If Josh makes money from performing the song, does Daniel deserve a fraction (or all) of Josh’s earnings? […]
In this quote Aristotle is providing insight to what economists would later call The Tragedy of the Commons. What is the Tragedy of the Commons? Professor Sean Mulholland lays it out below:
Milton the rancher lives downriver from a large chemical factory. In the past month, the chemical factory has been disposing of chemical waste in the river, which has flowed downstream and poisoned Milton’s cattle. Milton is also a libertarian-minded person and prefers to keep government out of his life and out of the lives of […]
From gaining the rights to vote and to own property to contemporary issues like wage gaps and slut shaming, feminism has been a topic of debate for decades. Some argue that the best way to give women equal rights and opportunities is to enact government policies which mandate the equal treatment of women, or affirmative […]
In this video Professor Deirdre McCloskey explains how property rights and economic freedom has resulted in a dramatic explosion in overall wealth. Why then do you think free markets and capitalist are derided so much in society? Let us know what you think in the comments!
The following blog post by Abigail Hall appeared on the Independent Institute’s blog on September 3rd, 2015. Below is an excerpt. Some people look at the conditions in Venezuela and point to oil prices as the source of many of its problems. The Venezuelan government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, blames opposition leaders for the […]