National Parks: Rights and the Common Good - Paperback

by Francis N. Lovett (Author), Amitai Etzioni (Author)

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.

Author Biography

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.