How are property rights linked to economic activity?
The ability to possess property for ones benefit and to exclude others is understood as a desire or want of many individuals. Research has shown that individuals will expend effort to acquire resources that meet a need or want. Providing a system whereby individuals may acquire property incentivizes those individuals to work toward that end. That is, people will expend effort to acquire property if they have the knowledge that they will be able to retain the property for their personal use and without the threat of forfeiting the property to others. They will undertake work that they were not otherwise willing to undertake in the absence of acquiring new property. Some individuals are willing to work longer and harder incentivized by the amount of property they are able to acquire as a result of their efforts. This tendency often results in greater efficiency in effort and overall economic productivity. Increased productivity of individuals is linked to increases in total economic output in an economy.Â
What is Capital Formation?
Property ownership rights allow individuals to possess and demonstrate the results of their own efforts. Individuals are then able to employ that property toward creating additional property. That is, individuals can use their acquired property (or provide it to others) with the intention of generating or acquiring ownership rights in more property. In furtherance of capital formation, the nature of property allows ownership rights in any resource to be divided among individuals. As such, individuals can employ their resources collectively in the creation or acquisition of new property.
- Example: Abes ownership of property allows him employ the services of Bob in exchange for providing Bob with a form of property. Bobs effort generates additional property for Abe, which Abe can use for the creation of additional property.
