Spring 1999
Thursday, 6:30 to 9:30

Instructors:

William L. (Bill) Hoover, Professor of Forest Economics, 494-3580, whoover@fnr.purdue.edu

Edna T. Loehman, Professor of Agriculture Economics, 494-4303, loehman@agecon.purdue.edu

George Horwich, Professor of Economics, 494-4443, ghorwich@mgmt.purdue.edu

The property rights structure underlying political and economic systems is increasingly identified as critical to economic development and social change. This course will engage students and the instructors in a critical evaluation of the role of property rights in economic and political systems. We will use The Noblest Triumph by Tom Bethell, St. Martin’s Press, 1998 as the basis for discussions. It’s available at Von’s Bookstore.

We will identify Mr. Bethell’s major premises and use the property rights and related literature to evaluate them. Each student will be required to pick one major premise, identify several articles that support or counter this premise. These articles will be made available to the class. They are be read by all participants. The student will then lead the participants in a discussion of the premise. The student will then complete a research paper based on the literature read, class discussions, and other sources of information as may be available.

As a result of completing this course you should have a basic understanding of the role of property rights in the economies of developing and developed nations, and the psychological, social, and political implications of alternative property rights structures.

Student’s grades will be determined by class participation, performance as discussion leader, and the research paper.

Challenge:

Postulate a general theory that relates the structure of a system of property rights to political, economic, religious, and other potential cause/effect factors.

Students:

Kaspar Herrmann, FNR, exchange student, Switzerland (kaspar_herrman@hotmail.com)

Yusuf Gunes, J.D., FNR Ph.D. graduate student, Turkey (gunes@fnr.purdue.edu)

Tzeng-Hua (Terry) Yang, FNR PhD graduate student, Taiwan (tzenghua@fnr.purdue.edu)

Sasiwimo Rajani, AGEC, MS student, Thailand (rajani@agecon.purdue.edu)

Heidi Hogset, AGEC, MS student, Norway (hogsett@agecon.purdue.edu)