Property Systems Analysis
There seem to be three main types of property systems (sets of resource usage rules) among anarchists, and indeed people in general: sticky property, possession property, and collective property. What qualities or characteristics do these have in common and/or differ on in degree? I offer these:
- Extent. What individuals or groups are allowed to own property?
- Original acquisition. How can property become (legitimately) owned?
- Transfer. How can property change owners?
- Abandonment conditions. How can property become unowned?
| Extent | Original Acquisition | Transfer | Abandonment | |
Sticky Property |
Totally open; All people or sets of people |
Homesteading | consensual exchange or gift |
strongly favoring owner |
Possession Property
|
Totally open; All people or sets of people |
Homesteading | consensual exchange or gift |
weakly favoring owner |
Collective Property |
Ownership restricted to current workers or users |
- | consensual exchange or gift except for MOP |
- |
Geoists, not shown, favor sticky property with the geoist condition that people must pay a land tax/rent on natural resources. Collective property is basically possession property for everything but capital goods aka the means of production. Collectivists generally refer to 'everything but MOP' as "personal property."
