Jacobs, Harvey M. ed. Who Owns America? Social Conflict Over Property Rights. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1998.
Land ownership by individual citizens is a cornerstone of American heritage and a centerpiece of the American dream. 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. Who Owns America? is a collection of perspectives from eighteen contributors in the fields of law, history, anthropology, economics, sociology, forestry, and environmental studies. It begins with the popular view of land ownership as seen though the television show Bonanza! The volume 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. — University of Wisconsin Press website.
Harvey M. Jacobs is professor and chair in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and professor in the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.