Abstract
Property rights are important institutions that influence economic performance and reflect the historical, cultural, and political realities of particular societies. Drawing on a variety of concepts from legal and economic studies, a framework for explaining the origin and evolution of property rights is developed and applied to the specific case of changing ground water rights in Nebraska. The Nebraska case is an interesting example of reliance on local control in regulating water use. Despite the importance of local initiatives in ground water management, this case also illustrates the need for external support from the judicial and legislative systems. The evolution of ground water property rights in Nebraska, as in other parts of the United States, has been conditioned by historical circumstances and changing values and attitudes as well as by economic and political forces.
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Additional information
Helpful comments on this paper were provided by the Editor of this journal and two anonymous reviewers. University of Nebraska Agricultural Research Division Journal Series Number 9996.
E. Wesley F. Peterson is associate professor of agricultural economics at the University of Nebraska. Most of his research has been in the area of international agricultural trade with a focus on international institutions and policies.
J. David Aiken is professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska. He holds a JD from George Washington and is a specialist in the areas of agricultural and water law.
Bruce B. Johnson is professor of agricultural economics at the University of Nebraska. His research interests are primarily in natural resources and land economics. He also teaches part of a course in agricultural ethics.
Helpful comments on this paper were provided by the Editor of this journal and two anonymous reviewers. University of Nebraska Agricultural Research Division Journal Series Number 9996.
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Wesley, E., Peterson, F., Aiken, J.D. et al. Property rights and groundwater in Nebraska. Agric Hum Values 10, 41–49 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02217559
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02217559