The Elgar Companion to the Economics of Property Rights

Economics is a matter of choice and growth, of interaction and exchange among individuals. Because property rights define the rules of these interactions and the objects of exchange, it is vital to fully understand the institutions and implications of the various property-rights regimes. With over 20 original and specially commissioned chapters, this book takes the reader from the historical and moral foundations of the discipline to the frontiers of scholarly research in the field. This Companion is both an introduction to the economics of property rights and a guide to help understand and analyse policy issues by making use of the powerful conceptual tools offered by this increasingly popular branch of economics. Following a comprehensive introduction by the editor, the book is divided in to three broad sections which examine the birth and evolution of property rights, investigate the relationship between property rights and the law, and explore contemporary economic issues from a property rights perspective. Together, the chapters in the book do not claim to offer a standard solution to the institutional questions raised by the property-rights issue. Instead, they present the theoretical tools and real-world examples needed to allow the reader to develop new ideas and evaluate existing problems. Non-technical in nature and including a distinguished list of authors from across the spectrum of economic thinking, The Elgar Companion to the Economics of Property Rights makes an invaluable contribution to the literature on economics, law, political science and public choice. For any serious scholar or student of these disciplines, this book will prove to be the ultimate reference companion.