The essay, American People American Power, examines the intricate dynamics between state power, property rights, and the relationship between rulers and the governed. It highlights how the state creates and mediates competing claims on resources, defines categories of ownership, and maintains control by regulating access to property. The state's power is rooted in its ability to withhold or grant ownership, which compels compliance from its subjects. In a democracy, representatives administer national assets, but the perpetual promise to control more resources during election cycles results in people unknowingly voting away their direct access to property. Ultimately, the state's monopoly over assets limits individuals' direct ownership and access, whereas without the state, the people would have direct access to the goods and services the state rations. This essay looks at access to property when property is controlled by the state, contrasted with a scenario where no such state intervention exists.
