Land ownership by individual citizens is a cornerstone of American heritage and a centerpiece of the American dream. Thomas Jefferson called it the key to our success as a democracy. Yet the question of who owns America not only remains unanswered but is central to a fundamental conflict that can pit private property rights advocates against government policymakers and environmentalists. Land use authority Harvey M. Jacobs has gathered a provocative collection of perspectives from eighteen contributors in the fields of law, history, anthropology, economics, sociology, forestry, and environmental studies. Who Owns America? begins with the popular view of land ownership as seen though the television show Bonanza! It examines public regulation of private land; public land management; the roles culture and ethnic values play in land use; and concludes with Jacobs’ title essay. Who Owns America? is a powerful and illuminating exploration of the very terrain that makes us Americans. Its broad set of theoretical and historical perspectives will fascinate historians, environmental activists, policy makers, and all who care deeply about the land we share.

"From an insider's perspective, Robert C. Post ... offers insight into the politics of display and the interpretation of history. Never before has a book about the Smithsonian detailed the recent and dramatic shift from collection-driven shows, with artifacts meant to speak for themselves, to concept-driven exhibitions, in which objects aim to tell a story, displayed like illustrations in a book"--Dust jacket flap.

Discover the Life and Legacy of Oprah Winfrey: America's Cultural Icon! Are you fascinated by the journey of Oprah Winfrey, the woman who defied all odds to become one of the most influential people in the world? Do you want to understand how she became a media mogul, philanthropist, and a beacon of empowerment? Look no further! "Oprah Winfrey: The Woman Who OWNed America" is the definitive guide to understanding the immeasurable impact Oprah has had on American culture and beyond. What's Inside? The Early Years: From her humble beginnings to the challenges she overcame. The Making of a Media Personality: Oprah's journey from radio to worldwide fame. Talk Show Revolution: How she redefined television and popular culture. Becoming a Mogul: Her expansion into films, publishing, and more. The Birth of OWN: A detailed look at Oprah's vision and the execution of OWN Network. Philanthropic Footprint: From Oprah's Angel Network to the Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Cultural Impact: How Oprah changed consumer behavior and promoted social change. Controversies and Criticisms: A balanced look at the debates and criticisms Oprah has faced. The Woman Behind the Brand: Get to know Oprah on a personal level—her values, spirituality, and life lessons. The Legacy: OWN’s long-term impact and Oprah's lasting influence on culture and philanthropy. Key Takeaways: Understand Oprah's groundbreaking impact on media, politics, and social change. Gain insight into Oprah's philanthropic endeavors and their far-reaching significance. Discover Oprah’s spirituality, self-care rituals, and how her personal journey influenced her empire. Perfect for fans of Oprah, students of media and culture, and anyone who loves an incredible rags-to-riches story that has impacted generations. Don't miss out on this comprehensive biography that not only narrates Oprah's life but also evaluates her enduring impact as a cultural icon. Click 'Buy Now' to embark on this enlightening journey!

The 8th edition, already significantly updated, has now been further updated in 2023 to include the likely impact of the post-pandemic cutbacks, the overturning of Roe v Wade, and the Trump indictments on the 2024 national elections. These factors could lead to more economic growth and social support for families, schools, and health care--or an increase in inequality, white male supremacy, and social strife, depending on the size of the voter turnout by younger voters. At this crucial moment in American history, when voting rights could be expanded to include all citizens, or legislatively limited, this significantly updated edition of Who Rules America? shows precisely how the top 1% of the population, who own 43% of all financial wealth, and receive 20% of the nation’s yearly income, dominate governmental decision-making. They have created a corporate community and a policy-planning network, made up of foundations think-tanks, and policy-discussion groups, to develop the policies that become law. Through a leadership group called the power elite, the corporate rich provide campaign donations and other gifts and favors to elected officials, serve on federal advisory committees, and receive appointments to key positions in government, all of which make it possible for the corporate rich and the power elite to rule the country, despite constant challenges from the inclusionary alliance and from the Democratic Party. The book explains the role of both benign and dark attempts to influence public opinion, the machinations of the climate-denial network, and how the Supreme Court came to have an ultraconservative majority, who serve as a backstop for the corporate community as well as a legitimator of restrictions on voting rights, union rights, and abortion rights, by ruling that individual states have the power to set such limits. Despite all this highly concentrated power, it will be the other 99.5%, not the top 0.5%, who will decide the fate of the United States in the 2020s on all the important issues.

Long viewed as a problem in other countries, the ownership of land and resources is becoming an issue of mounting concern in the United States. Nowhere has it surfaced more dramatically than in the southern Appalachians where the exploitation of timber and mineral resources has been recently aggravated by the ravages of strip-mining and flash floods. This landmark study of the mountain region documents for the first time the full scale and extent of the ownership and control of the region's land and resources and shows in a compelling, yet non-polemical fashion the relationship between this control and conditions affecting the lives of the region's people. Begun in 1978 and extending through 1980, this survey of land ownership is notable for the magnitude of its coverage. It embraces six states of the southern Appalachian region—Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Alabama. From these states the research team selected 80 counties, and within those counties field workers documented the ownership of over 55,000 parcels of property, totaling over 20 million acres of land and mineral rights. The survey is equally significant for its systematic investigation of the relations between ownership and conditions within Appalachian communities. Researchers compiled data on 100 socioeconomic indicators and correlated these with the ownership of land and mineral rights. The findings of the survey form a generally dark picture of the region—local governments struggling to provide needed services on tax revenues that are at once inadequate and inequitable; economic development and diversification stifled; increasing loss of farmland, a traditional source of subsistence in the region. Most evident perhaps is the adverse effect upon housing resulting from corporate ownership and land speculation. Nor is the trend toward greater conglomerate ownership of energy resources, the expansion of absentee ownership into new areas, and the search for new mineral and energy sources encouraging. Who Owns Appalachia? will be an enduring resource for all those interested in this region and its problems. It is, moreover, both a model and a document for social and economic concerns likely to be of critical importance for the entire nation.

The forestlands of the U.S. tell a fascinating story about humankind and its relationship with the land. It is a story of trial and error, of consumption and conservation, and of conflict and collaboration. But most of all, it is a story of re-growth, renewal, and abundance. Through words, statistics, and graphs, this report tells this story. Contents: Historical Trends; What and Where are America¿s Forests (AF); Who Owns AF?; Conservation of AF; Biodiversity, Wildlife, Water and Non-timber Forest Products; Recreational Use; Growth, Harvesting, and Reforestation; Carbon Sequestration; AF in a Global Context; Certification; Threats; Forest Divestiture; Wood and Paper Products; Forest Products Markets; and Econ. Importance of a Healthy Forest Industry. Illus.

"In Curating the American Past, Pete Daniel takes readers behind the "Staff Only" door at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to reveal how curators collect objects, plan exhibits, navigate public-sector politics, and bring alive the events, characters, and concepts that define our shared history"--

“A must-own title.” —National Review Online American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia is the first comprehensive reference volume to cover what is surely the most influential political and intellectual movement of the past half century. More than fifteen years in the making—and more than half a million words in length—this informative and entertaining encyclopedia contains substantive entries on those persons, events, organizations, and concepts of major importance to postwar American conservatism. Its contributors include iconic patriarchs of the conservative and libertarian movements, celebrated scholars, well-known authors, and influential movement activists and leaders. Ranging from “abortion” to “Zoll, Donald Atwell,” and written from viewpoints as various as those which have informed the postwar conservative movement itself, the encyclopedia’s more than 600 entries will orient readers of all kinds to the people and ideas that have given shape to contemporary American conservatism. This long-awaited volume is not to be missed.