Music : The Mamas and the Papas: Greatest Hits (1965-68)

Music: The Mamas and the Papas: Greatest Hits (1965-68)

• Aluminum: Mullett Briefs Face Down on Table

• Updated Assignment Sheet Posted

• Radium: Manning Briefs Now Due Friday• Lunch Tuesday: BOYNE; EPSTEIN; MARGOLIS;

McCARTHY; SCHWARZBERG; SEARNS; SHAFRIR

New Issue in Mullett: Escape

• GENERALLY: WHEN DOES OWNER OF ESCAPED ANIMAL LOSE PROPERTY RIGHTS?

– Why Different from Watch or Ring?

– What Facts are Relevant?

New Issue in Mullett: Escape

• Different from First Possession (Where All 3 Cases Ask Similar Qs)

• Escape Cases Focus on Different Concerns

– Mullett: Applies English Common Law Rule

– Manning: Fact-Specific Result Not Using English Common Law Test

OXYGEN: DQ28

Assume that we are in a world where the net-owners have no enforceable rights in fish caught in their nets until they physically remove the fish from the nets. Thomas chooses to take fish from the owners’ nets. Who is affected by this decision?

EXTERNALITIES• Cost or benefit external to a decision-making

process– Must be w reference to particular decision– helpful to start by identifying decision maker

• If decision-maker considers a cost, but chooses to absorb it, not an externality– E.g., Thomas considers own exertion necessary to

take from nets, may decide to take anyway

EXTERNALITIES• Likely Externalities in DQ28 Shaw hypo:

– Costs to net-owners & their families– Loss of availability to purchasers from net-owners– Effects on net manufacturers– Effects on fish & food chain (might be benefits if

net-fishing discouraged)

EXTERNALITIES• “Internalizing” Externalities: Forcing

Decision-Maker to Consider



• DQ30 (Krypton): Examples of Internalizing from Outside Reading?



• Beneficial Because Means Price of Activities Will Reflect Real Cost (e.g., pollution costs)


Decision-Maker to Consider• Beneficial Because Means Price of Activities

Will Reflect Real Cost• Can Internalize Several Ways

– Require Payment of Damages– Criminalize Activity– Private Negotiotiation (Bribes)

OXYGEN: DQ28

If the fish are worth more to the net-owners than to Thomas, presumably there is some amount of money they could contract to pay him to leave the fish alone that would leave all parties better off than before the contract. What obstacles stand in the way of the parties entering this contract?

OXYGEN: DQ28

What obstacles stand in the way of the parties entering this contract?

Assume cost to net-owner is $500/wk & benefit to Thomas is $300/wk.

Assume One-on-One Negotiation.

Costs of One-on-One Negotiation

• Investigation Costs

• Bargaining Costs

• Strategic Behavior

• Enforcement Costs

OXYGEN: DQ28

What obstacles stand in the way of the parties entering this contract?

Assume cost to net-owner is $500/wk & benefit to Thomas is $300/wk.

Assume Multi-Party Negotiation.

Additional Costs of Multi-Party Negotiation

• Free-Riding

• Holdouts

• Organization/Management Costs

Collectively: “Transaction Costs”

• Investigation Costs• Bargaining Costs• Strategic Behavior• Enforcement Costs

• Free-Riding• Holdouts• Organization/

Management Costs

Transaction Costs Can Prevent Parties from Reaching Bargains that are “Efficient” (= Would Make Everyone Better Off)

DQ32: Costs of Internalization?

• costs of bargaining privately

• costs of collectively creating new rules (can be very expensive)– multi-party negotiation– legislation

Basic Demsetz Analysis: 1st Thesis

• Identify decision at issue



• Identify old rule




• Identify neg. externalities under old rule


If cost of externalities >

cost of change

change in rule


• If cost of externalities > cost of change change in rule– Rough Approximation (Not Precise Math)


• If cost of externalities > cost of change change in rule– Rough Approximation (Not Precise Math)

– Resulting Change in Rule Unpredictable


• If cost of externalities > cost of change change in rule– Rough Approximation (Not Precise Math)– Resulting Change in Rule Unpredictable– Often Results from Social/Cultural Change

• New Social Habits Scarcity• New Science/Technology

Scarcity or Better Monitoring





• Identify change in circumstances





• Identify change in circumstances

• Does change increase neg. externalities?


• Identify decision at issue• Identify old rule• Identify neg. externalities under old rule• Identify change in circumstances• Does change increase neg. externalities?• If cost of externalities > cost of change

change in rule

DQ33: Uranium: Apply to Montagne


change in rule

DQ34: Uranium

Why does the author believe that the tribes of the Southwestern U.S. did not adopt a system

similar to that of the Montagne?

DQ35: Uranium: Apply to Development of Air Pollution Regs


change in rule

DQ35: Apply to Development of Sexual Harassment Regs


change in rule

Demsetz Second Thesis

Over Time, Process Described in 1st Thesis Leads to More and More Private Property

Alternatives to Private Property

• State of Nature: (Can Use Power to Exclude)

• Communal Ownership – No one can exclude others– Often Variants on First in Time in Practice

• Can Have Non-Communal State Ownership – e.g., Military Bases– Like Private Ppty BUT Gov’t Management

Alternatives to Private Property• State of Nature: (Can Use Power to Exclude)• Communal Ownership

– No one can exclude others– Often Variants on First in Time in Practice

• Can Have Non-Communal State Ownership – e.g., Military Bases– Like Private Ppty BUT Gov’t Management

• DQ36: Radium: Common Examples?

Demsetz: Private Property More Efficient Than Communal Property

• The members of the community will have trouble negotiating among themselves to achieve the optimal level of use of the resource.



• The members of the community will have trouble negotiating with other communities or outsiders to prevent interference with their rights and achieve useful bargains about allocating property rights.



• The members of the community will have trouble negotiating with other communities or outsiders to prevent interference with their rights and achieve useful bargains about allocating property rights.

• DQ37: Radium: Examples?

Demsetz Second Thesis

Over Time, Process Described in 1st Thesis Leads to More and More Private Property

DQ38: RADIUM

In your experience, do communities have ways of preventing anti-community behavior aside from bargaining or paying off the anti-

social community members? Examples?

DQ38: RADIUM

If bargaining among members of a community is so difficult, how do private property systems

get created at all?

WHAT TO TAKE FROM DEMSETZ

• Externalities Important (Want Decision-Makers to Consider Real Costs)


• Externalities Important

• Useful Description of a Way Changes in Society Create Changes in Property Rights


• Externalities Important

• Useful Description of Changes in Property Rights

• Arguments re Advantages of Private Property


• Externalities Important• Useful Description of Changes in Property

Rights• Advantages of Private Property• Description of What Property Is (1st para.)

– Expectations re Rights to Act– Protection from Others’ Interference– Construct of Society/Culture

Documents

Music : The Mamas and the Papas: Greatest Hits (1965-68)