Voigt, Stefan --- "On the Coexistence of Different Property-Rights Systems – and its Consequences for Economic Growth and Development" [2004] ELECD 104; in Colombatto, Enrico (ed), "The Elgar Companion to the Economics of Property Rights" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2004)

Book Title: The Elgar Companion to the Economics of Property Rights

Editor(s): Colombatto, Enrico

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781840649949

Section: Chapter 7

Section Title: On the Coexistence of Different Property-Rights Systems – and its Consequences for Economic Growth and Development

Author(s): Voigt, Stefan

Number of pages: 23

Extract:

7 On the coexistence of different property
rights systems ­ and its consequences for
economic growth and development
Stefan Voigt*


Introduction
The Hindu tradition of burning a widow on the funeral pyre of her dead
husband was officially abolished in British India in 1829. Yet, instances of
`suttee' ­ as this tradition is also called ­ still occur today. Also in India,
although a dowry is officially prohibited, advertisements in the classified
sections of many newspapers make little effort to disguise the fact that a
substantial dowry is expected.
Many states the world over have tried to ban the consumption of alcohol by
outlawing its manufacture, transportation or sale. The United States even
changed its constitution, the eighteenth amendment establishing prohibition
(and the twenty-first repealing it). Enormous fortunes were made as a result
of prohibition, Al Capone probably being the most famous figure of the time.
The prohibition of trading some goods and services has often had very
similar effects; just think of prostitution or the drugs trade.
In many `multicultural' societies, property rights systems partially overlap:
is a Muslim teacher allowed to wear her head-shawl while teaching in a
German school? Do Sikhs have to wear a helmet while riding a motorbike?
Are Muslims ­ and Jews ­ allowed to kill animals according to their tradition
although this way of killing animals is generally prohibited? How are Ger-
man courts to decide whether fathers of Turkish or Kurdish girls can have
their daughters killed because their behaviour has brought disgrace on the
...