Henry George

Georgism, named after Henry George (1839-1897), is a philosophy and economic ideology that follows from the belief that everyone owns what they create, but everything supplied by nature, most importantly land, belongs equally to all humanity. Image File history File links Photograph of Henry George as a young man. ... Image File history File links Photograph of Henry George as a young man. ... Henry George Henry George (September 2, 1839 – October 29, 1897) was an American political economist and the most influential proponent of the Single Tax on land. ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The philosopher Socrates about to take poison hemlock as ordered by the court. ... Face-to-face trading interactions on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor. ... Land in economics comprises all naturally occurring resources whose supply is inherently fixed (i. ...

Georgists argue that all of the economic rent (ie, unearned income) collected from land, broadcast spectrum, mineral extraction, tradable emission permits, fishing quotas, airway corridor use, seignorage, space orbits, etc. and extraordinary returns from "natural monopolies" should go to the community rather than the owner and that no other taxes or burdensome economic regulations should be levied. In practice that implies a high land value tax (LVT), although no change in land rental prices (other than those caused by reduction of other taxes and regulations) for reasons first explained by Adam Smith. In economic theory, economic rent is an analytic term employed to distinguish the difference between the income earned by an input or factor of production, and the cost of the factor of production. ... Emissions trading is an administrative approach used to reduce the cost of pollution control by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants. ... Seigniorage, also spelled seignorage, is the net revenue derived from the issuing of currency. ... Land value taxation (LVT), or site value taxation, is the policy of raising state revenues by charging each landholder a portion of the value of a site or parcel of land that would exist even if that site had no improvements. ... Adam Smith FRSE (baptised June 5, 1723 O.S. / June 16 N.S. – July 17, 1790) was a Scottish moral philosopher and a pioneering political economist. ...

Synonyms and variants

Most early advocacy groups described themselves as Single Taxers, and George endorsed this as being an accurate description of the movement's main political goal - the replacement of all taxes with a LVT. In the modern era, there are groups inspired by Henry George with more of an emphasis on environmentalism or monetary economics. For the psychology topic, see Environmental psychology. ... Face-to-face trading interactions on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor. ...

In today's more economically complex world, a quick and total change to LVT is very difficult to sell politically, so the term "Georgist" has come into vogue, being a more general term which encompasses even incremental changes towards the ideal of replacing unjust and economically destructive taxes on economic activity by recovery of the economic rent of land for the purposes and benefit of the public that creates land value.

Some Georgists are not entirely satisfied with the label. Henry George is now little known and the principle predates him. Some use the term "Geoism", with the meaning of "Geo" deliberately ambiguous. "Earth Sharing", "Geoism", "Geonomics" and "Geolibertarianism" (see libertarianism) are also preferred by some Georgists, "Geoanarchism" is another one. These terms reflect a difference of emphasis, and sometimes real differences about how land rent should be spent (citizen's dividend or just replacing other taxes); but all agree that land rent should be recovered from its private recipients. Georgism, named for Henry George (1839-1897), is a philosophy and economic theory that follows from the belief that although everyone owns what they create; land, and everything else supplied by nature, belongs equally to all humanity. ... Geolibertarianism (also geoanarchism) is a liberal political philosophy that holds along with other forms of libertarian individualism that each individual has an exclusive right to the fruits of his or her labor, as opposed to this product being owned collectively by society or the community. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Geolibertarianism (also geoanarchism) is a political philosophy that holds with other forms of libertarianism that all products of labor should be privately owned and controlled. ... Citizens dividend is a proposed state policy based upon the principle that the natural world is the common property of all persons (see Georgism). ...

Predecessors

Those who expressed similar thoughts before Henry George include: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, John Stuart Mill, William Ogilvie of Pittensear, Thomas Paine (notably in "Agrarian Justice", 1795), William Penn, Adam Smith, Patrick Edward Dove, Herbert Spencer and Jacques Turgot. Some anarchists have been near to Georgism on some points. Also, historical fiction novels typically portray the Native Americans as believing a similar philosophy. Benjamin Franklin (January 17 [O.S. January 6] 1706 – April 17, 1790) was one of the most well known Founding Fathers of the United States. ... This article is becoming very long. ... This article is about John Locke, the English philosopher. ... John Stuart Mill (20th May 1806 – 8th May 1873), a British philosopher and political economist, was an influential liberal thinker of the 19th century. ... Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (Thetford, England, 29 January 1737 – 8 June 1809, New York City, USA) was a pamphleteer, revolutionary, radical intellectual, and deist. ... William Penn William Penn (October 14, 1644 – July 30, 1718) founded the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony that became the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... Adam Smith FRSE (baptised June 5, 1723 O.S. / June 16 N.S. – July 17, 1790) was a Scottish moral philosopher and a pioneering political economist. ... Patrick Edward Dove (31 July 1815 – 28 April 1873) was born at Lasswade, near Edinburgh in Scotland. ... Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English philosopher and prominent classic-liberal political theorist. ... Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, Baron de Laune, often referred to as Turgot (May 10, 1727 ? March 18, 1781), was a French statesman and economist. ... Anarchists can refer to several things, among which: The movie Anarchists Supporters of the principles of anarchism The Anarchists (Les Anarchistes), a famous song from Léo Ferré A List of anarchists This is a disambiguation page—a list of articles associated with the same title. ... A historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, where the time the action takes place in predates the time of the first publication -- distinguish and contrast the genre of alternate history. ... Native Americans are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska. ...

George's ideas were also predated by traditional land taxes levied at various times in Japan, China, India, Egypt and other countries, such taxes often being accompanied by marked prosperity.^{[citation needed]}

Famous Georgists

• Winston Churchill
• Clarence Darrow
• David Lloyd George
• George Grey
• Walter Burley Griffin
• Tom L. Johnson
• Albert Jay Nock
• Sun Yat Sen
• Leo Tolstoy
• Mark Twain
• Herbert Simon
• Francis Neilson
• William F. Buckley, Jr.
• William Morris Hughes
• Henry Ford.

In the 2004 Presidential campaign, Ralph Nader mentioned Henry George in his platform.[1] Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was an English statesman, soldier, and author. ... Clarence Seward Darrow (April 18, 1857 Kinsman, Trumbull County, Ohio - March 13, 1938 Chicago) was an American lawyer and leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union, best known for defending teenaged thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in their trial for murdering 14-year-old Bobby Franks (1924) and defending... David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor, OM, PC (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was a British statesman who guided Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations through World War I and the postwar settlement as the Liberal Party Prime Minister, 1916-1922. ... George Edward Grey Statue of Sir George Grey in Albert Park, Auckland For other men with a similar name, see George Grey or George Gray Sir George Edward Grey KCB (April 14, 1812–September 19, 1898) was a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor... Walter Burley Griffin and his wife Marion Mahony Griffin, in Sydney in 1930 Walter Burley Griffin (November 24, 1876 - February 11, 1937) was an American architect and landscape architect best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australias capital city. ... Tom Loftin Johnson (July 18, 1854–April 10, 1911) was an American politician of the Democratic Party from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ... Albert Jay Nock (October 13, 1870 or 1872 - August 19, 1945) was an influential American libertarian author, educational theorist, and social critic of the early and middle 20th century. ... Sun Yat-sen (November 12, 1866 - March 12, 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary leader and statesman who is considered by many to be the Father of Modern China. He had a significant influence in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and establishment of the Republic of China. ... Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: , IPA:  ), commonly referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy (September 9 [O.S. August 28] 1828 – November 20 [O.S. November 7] 1910) was a Russian novelist, writer, essayist, philosopher, Christian anarchist, pacifist, educational reformer, moral thinker, and an influential member of the Tolstoy family. ... Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910),[1] better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, satirist, writer, and lecturer. ... Herbert Alexander Simon (June 15, 1916 – February 9, 2001) was an American political scientist whose research ranged across the fields of cognitive psychology, computer science, public administration, economics, management, and philosophy of science and a professor, most notably, at Carnegie Mellon University. ... Francis Neilson (1867- 13 April 1961) went from rags to riches as an accomplished writer and a leader in the Georgist movement. ... William F. Buckley, Jr. ... Rt Hon Billy Hughes William Morris Billy Hughes (September 25, 1862 - October 28, 1952), Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia, the longest-serving member of the Australian Parliament, and one of the most controversial figures in Australian political history. ... Henry Ford (1919) Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was the founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production. ... Presidential election results map. ... Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (born February 27, 1934), is an American attorney and political activist. ...

Single-tax communities

• Arden, Delaware, founded 1900 by Frank Stephens and Will Price.
• Fairhope, Alabama, founded 1894 by Fairhope Single Tax Corporation

Arden is a village located in New Castle County, Delaware. ... Year 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... Map of Fairhope, Alabama area, from Mobile Bay, past Weeks Bay, to neighboring towns (click map to enlarge) Fairhope is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, on a sloping plateau, along the cliffs and shoreline of Mobile Bay. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

See also

• Tragedy of the anticommons
• Mutualism
• Geolibertarianism
• Democratic Freedom Caucus
• Excess burden of taxation
• Anthropocentrism

The tragedy of the anticommons occurs when rational individuals (acting separately) collectively waste a given resource by under-utilizing it. ... Mutualism is an economic theory or system, largely associated with Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, based on a labor theory of value which holds that in extreme laissez-faire, market competition will cause the market values (prices) of commodities and services to align with the amount of labor embodied in those things. ... Geolibertarianism (also geoanarchism) is a liberal political philosophy that holds along with other forms of libertarian individualism that each individual has an exclusive right to the fruits of his or her labor, as opposed to this product being owned collectively by society or the community. ... The Democratic Freedom Caucus (DFC) is a small caucus within the United States Democratic Party which seeks to help the Democratic Party rediscover its Jeffersonian roots, of individual liberty, constitutional democracy, civil liberties, and opposition to corporate welfare and special interests. ... In economics, the excess burden of taxation, also known as the distortionary cost or deadweight loss of taxation, is an additional social cost that goes beyond the number of dollars collected in tax. ... Anthropocentrism (Greek άνθρωπος, anthropos, human, κέντρον, kentron, center), or the human-centered principle, refers to the idea that humanity must always remain the central concern for humans. ...

External links

• Henry George Foundation of America
• Henry George Papers, New York Public Library
• Understanding Economics
• Henry George Biography
• Robert Schalkenbach Foundation
• Center for the Study of Economics
• Maryland Land Value Tax Project