Property Rights and Agricultural Production

摘要: .This paper uses newly collected farm-level data from California and existing county-level the United States in 1860 to examine effects of uncertain property rights on agricultural production. The suggest that individuals with weaker had fewer improved acres conditional farm size. This appears have been primary mechanism through which led lower crop values, although even values. We are able rule out two alternative non-property hypotheses for these patterns, but do find some evidence may induced negative selection farmers. suggests problem was a frontier-wide, rather than California-specific, phenomenon. These findings implications our understanding growth American productivity over time changes land Third World.