Similar Posts
The “Bundle” Theory of Property
The dominant view of property today is the “bundle” theory. According to this view, property consists of a number of separate rights, such as the rights to use, disposal, and trade. Metaphorically, property consists of a “bundle of sticks.” One of those sticks can be removed, but a bundle remains. Similarly, one of rights of…
The Tragedy of the “Commons,” Part 1
In 1968, Garrett Hardin wrote a highly influential article titled “The Tragedy of the Commons,” in which he examined the problems that inherently arise when property is owned “in common.” Hardin tells the story of a pasture shared by a number of herdsmen: As a rational being, each herdsman seeks to maximize his gain. Explicitly…
Fighting Zoning in Hobbs
This post is the fourth in a series. About twelve years after zoning was defeated in Houston, I was contacted by two businessmen in Hobbs, New Mexico. The city council was considering a zoning ordinance, and they wanted me to help defeat the proposal. They had found the pamphlet that my friend and I had…
Conflicting Values?
With the 2019 legislative session just a few months away, the proposed bullet train between Dallas and Houston is once again gaining increased attention. In both 2015 and 2017, both opponents and supporters of the project descended on Austin to argue their positions. To many, the bullet train represents a conflict of values. For example,…
A Contradiction at the Border
For decades, the government has been preventing property owners from using their land as they choose. Under the guise of protecting “wetlands” and endangered species, government agencies have prevented development on parcels of land across the nation. But under the Trump administration, government agencies are wildlife preserves, both public and private, along the border to…
A Letter from Ken Paxton
Last week, I received a fund-raising letter from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. In the letter, Paxton repeatedly proclaimed his support for liberty. Yet, his track record belies this claim. For example, Paxton defended the Trump administration’s use of eminent domain to seize private land along the state’s southern border to build a wall. He…