This paper adds to the theoretical literature regarding the early development of effective property rights by integrating an analytical model of migration into a conflict model of property appropriation from a common pool resource. Anthropological observations are used to motivate the development of the theory. The model suggests that incentives to migrate will result in expenditures on enforcement of insecure claims to the resource that are lower than previously indicated. Further, migration may encourage village fission, preventing population density from reaching levels necessary to encourage intensification of land use and formation of effective property rights.
","abstract_html":"<p>This paper adds to the theoretical literature regarding the early development of effective property rights by integrating an analytical model of migration into a conflict model of property appropriation from a common pool resource. Anthropological observations are used to motivate the development of the theory. The model suggests that incentives to migrate will result in expenditures on enforcement of insecure claims to the resource that are lower than previously indicated. Further, migration may encourage village fission, preventing population density from reaching levels necessary to encourage intensification of land use and formation of effective property rights.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dennis, John Wiley"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.A.","degree_level":"Campus Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Moore School of Business","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["John Gordanier","John Dermott"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:14Z","subjects":["Economics","Social and Behavioral Sciences","collective action","common pool resource","conflict","early development","migration","property rights"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2012, John Wiley Dennis"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/910","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["John Gordanier","John Dermott"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dennis, John Wiley"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Moore School of Business"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.A."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Economics","Social and Behavioral Sciences","collective action","common pool resource","conflict","early development","migration","property rights"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2012, John Wiley Dennis"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/910"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This paper adds to the theoretical literature regarding the early development of effective property rights by integrating an analytical model of migration into a conflict model of property appropriation from a common pool resource. Anthropological observations are used to motivate the development of the theory. The model suggests that incentives to migrate will result in expenditures on enforcement of insecure claims to the resource that are lower than previously indicated. Further, migration may encourage village fission, preventing population density from reaching levels necessary to encourage intensification of land use and formation of effective property rights.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Fight Or Flight: Migration and Conflict Over A Common Pool Resource"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["John Gordanier","John Dermott"],"dc:creator":["Dennis, John Wiley"],"dc:description.abstract":["This paper adds to the theoretical literature regarding the early development of effective property rights by integrating an analytical model of migration into a conflict model of property appropriation from a common pool resource. Anthropological observations are used to motivate the development of the theory. The model suggests that incentives to migrate will result in expenditures on enforcement of insecure claims to the resource that are lower than previously indicated. Further, migration may encourage village fission, preventing population density from reaching levels necessary to encourage intensification of land use and formation of effective property rights.
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