by Shawn Regan
As John Stossel writes this week, the first Thanksgiving almost didn't happen. Communal property arrangements caused early Plymouth settlers to nearly starve. Food production was low and famine soon resulted. It wasn't until settlers began assigning property rights to parcels of land that Thanksgiving was possible. Corn was planted, harvests rose, and in 1623, the first Thanksgiving was held.
This week, Stossel will be dedicating an entire show to the subject of property rights. The show will discuss the role of property rights in Native American societies, in promoting prosperity in the developing world, and how they saved the American bison. PERC executive director Terry Anderson will appear, as well as PERC fellow Brian Yablonski. Be sure to tune in to STOSSEL on the Fox Business Network on Thursday at 9 PM EST. It will be rebroadcast at midnight on Thursday, Saturday at 9 PM and midnight, and Sunday at 9 PM (all times eastern).
Watch a preview of the show here.
Founded 30 years ago in Bozeman, Montana, PERC—the Property and Environment Research Center—is the nation’s oldest and largest institute dedicated to improving environmental quality through property rights and markets.
PERC’s publications, each designed to resonate with specific groups, move ideas generated at PERC to broader audiences.
Research is at the heart of PERC's work, with a focus on the question: What is the link between economic growth and environmental quality?
The goal of PERC’s programs is to fully realize the vision of establishing “PERC University,” where scholars, students, policy makers, and others convene to expand the applications of free market environmentalism.
PERC's fellowships share a common goal of exposing new scholars, students, journalists, and policy makers to free market environmentalism, as well as enable scholars already familiar with FME to explore new applications.
PERC continues to publish and present a broad range of research and discussion through podcasts, videos, and other multimedia channels.