National Parks - (Rights & Responsibilities) by Francis N Lovett & Amitai Etzioni (Paperback)

About the Book

In this book, Francis Lovett examines public parks, especially those administered by the National Park Service, from a communitarian perspective. The author views the parks as an example of a common good_something which is valued for its service to a community or society at la...

Book Synopsis

In this book, Francis Lovett examines public parks, especially those administered by the National Park Service, from a communitarian perspective. The author views the parks as an example of a common good_something which is valued for its service to a community or society at large, and not merely for the benefits it brings to individuals or sub-groups. In all public spaces, such as parks, there arise issues regarding the proper balance between individual and sub-group rights and interests on the one hand, and the needs and value of community on the other. Lovett explores these issues in light of the communitarian idea of a common good, and suggests guidelines for the resolutions of these public policy problems. With an extensive introduction by Amitai Etzioni, founder of the Communitarian Network.

Review Quotes

"In this concise report [Lovett] explores the question of how to balance individual and subgroup rights in the parks with the needs and values of the community at large. . . . Very straight-forward and concise, and considers a wide range of conflicts that may arise." --Laura Watt, Dept. of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California at Berkeley, H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online

About the Author

Francis N. Lovett is a researcher at the Institute for Communitarian Policy Studies at The George Washington University, and is studying in a JD/PhD program at Columbia University.