This authoritative collection presents the most important published articles on the cultural, legal, philosophical and economic dimensions of property rights. It shows how the economics of property rights has enriched our ability to understand as well as to predict a wide range of real world events.This first volume focuses on the history, development and consequences of property rights as they interact with formal and informal institutions. The second volume considers the effects of alternative property rights on economic performance.

This important two-volume collection will be an essential source of reference for both economists and political scientists concerned with property rights.