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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…
Property Rights as Political Expediency
Writing in The Federalist, David Larsen makes a compelling case for eliminating single-family zoning. And he takes his fellow conservatives to task for opposing the Biden administration’s call to relax zoning laws: Are conservatives only against impositions on freedom and property rights from the federal government, while local governments should have absolute power over the…
Who Owns Dinosaur Fossils?
In late November, a federal judge in Fort Worth ruled that a Wichita Falls anesthesiologist and fossil enthusiast could keep the Tyrannosaurus bataar skull in his possession. The federal government had brought the lawsuit in an effort to return the skull to Mongolia, which claims ownership of the fossil. Admittedly, this is a very esoteric…
Justice for Big Tech
In 2019 during her campaign to become the Democrat nominee for President, Sen. Elizabeth Warren promised to use the antitrust laws to reverse “illegal and anti-competitive tech mergers.” As examples, she cited Amazon’s merger with Whole Foods, Facebook’s merger with Instagram, and Google’s merger with DoubleClick. “To restore the balance of power in our democracy,”…
Property Rights and Poverty
Last week, I wrote about the relationship between property rights and human flourishing. Writing on Forbes.com, Chuck DeVore provides further evidence of the value of property rights in lifting individuals out of poverty. Citing a report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, DeVore concludes, “There is a close connection between the…