Land in the American West : Private Claims and the Common Good

Throughout the history of the United States, the concepts of “land” and “the West” have fired the American imagination and fueled controversy. The essays in Land in the American West deal with complex, troublesome, and interrelated questions regarding land: Who owns it? Who has access to it? What happens when private rights infringe upon the public good, or when one ethnic group is pitted against another, or when there is a conflict between economic and environmental values? Many of these questions have deep historical roots. They all have special significance in the modern American West, where natural resources are still abundant and large areas of land are federally owned. The Essays In Land In The American West Deal With Complex, Troublesome, And Interrelated Questions Regarding Land: Who Owns It? Who Has Access To It? What Happens When Private Rights Infringe Upon The Public Good, Or When One Ethnic Group Is Pitted Against Another, Or When There Is A Conflict Between Economic And Environmental Values? Many Of These Questions Have Deep Historical Roots. They All Have Special Significance In The Modern American West, Where Natural Resources Are Still Abundant And Large Areas Of Land Are Federally Owned.--jacket. In Search Of Western Lands / William G. Robbins -- Private Property And The Public Interest : Land In The American Idea / Daniel W. Bromley -- Property Rights, Freedom, And Evolving Social Order / Bruce Yandle -- New Property Rights Debates : The Dialectics Of Naming, Blaming, And Claiming / Sarah Pralle And Michael W. Mccann -- Land For Cities, Scenery For City People : Managing Urbanization In The American Grain / Carl Abbott -- From Open Range To Closed Range On The Public Lands / William D. Rowley -- Dividing The Land : The Taylor Ranch And The Case Of Preserving The Limited Access Commons / María E. Montoya -- Public Lands And Public Sentiment : A Comparative Look At National Parks / Arthur R. Gómez -- Owning It All In Alaska : The Political Power Of A Rhetorical Paradigm / Stephen Haycox -- Contested Terrain : The Business Of Land In The American West / Richard White. Edited By William G. Robbins, James C. Foster. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. ""Contents"" ""Preface"" ""Acknowledgments"" ""Introduction: In Search of Western Lands"" ""Part I: Three Perspectives on Property Rights"" ""Private Property and the Public Interest: Land in the American Idea"" ""Property Rights, Freedom, and Evolving Social Order"" ""New Property Rights Debates: The Dialectics of Naming, Blaming, and Claiming"" ""Part II: Urban and Rural Vantage Points on Property"" ""Land for Cities, Scenery for City People: Managing Urbanization in the American Grain"" ""From Open Range to Closed Range on the Public Lands"" ""Part III: Three Case Studies of Land Use""""Dividing the Land: The Taylor Ranch and the Case for Preserving the Limited Access Commons"" ""Public Lands and Public Sentiment: A Comparative Look at National Parks"" ""Owning It All in Alaska: The Political Power of a Rhetorical Paradigm"" ""Epilogue: Contested Terrain: The Business of Land in the American West"" ""Contributors"" ""Index"" "The essays in Land in the American West deal with complex, troublesome, and interrelated questions regarding land: Who owns it? Who has access to it? What happens when private rights infringe upon the public good, or when one ethnic group is pitted against another, or when there is a conflict between economic and environmental values? Many of these questions have deep historical roots. They all have special significance in the modern American West, where natural resources are still abundant and large areas of land are federally owned."--BOOK JACKET.