Browsing by Author "Hudson, Blake"

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Our Constitutional Commons
(2012) Daniels, Brigham; Hudson, Blake
"Perhaps it goes without saying, but the United States Constitution is remarkable. It is the oldest constitution in continuous use, and due to its success, it has influenced many subsequent drafters of national and subnational constitutions worldwide. As many constitutional scholars have described, the difficulties the drafters of the Constitution faced often seemed insurmountable, and yet they succeeded. From the country's founding up until today, the document has played a crucial role in many of the nations most important policy debates, resolving some of the most contentious political conflicts in a way that has provided for continued governmental stability and continuity. While much has been written about the U.S. Constitution, very little, if anything at all, has been said about the ways in which the Constitution shares attributes with the commons. This article examines the Constitution through the lenses developed by scholars for assessing both commons resources and constructed cultural commons communities. These lenses provide a unique perspective on the operation of the U.S. Constitution—and particularly on its strengths and potential weaknesses—while the synergy and interaction between the two lenses provide an important and more holistic understanding of the institutional design of the Constitution."
Promoting and Establishing the Recovery of Endangered Species on Private Lands: A Case Study of the Gopher Tortoise
(2007) Hudson, Blake
"Having spent much of my life in the forests of southern Alabama, I have frequently come into contact with an important species, the viability of which has become greatly strained: the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). I have often had to wait for the slow, lumbering gopher tortoise to cross the forest paths of southern Alabama that I have traveled. The tortoise is listed as both a threatened and endangered species throughout a portion of its territorial range, and the tortoises population is quickly declining throughout the rest due to development pressures and forest management practices. The timber farmed to provide jobs and subsistence to thousands of foresters in Alabama is a necessary part of the tortoises survival. Remove the longleaf pine, destroy the tortoise burrows, and you destroy the species. How then do we find a balance between preserving our environment and developing the lands that provide housing, industry, and income for thousands of workers, and timber and paper products for the entire world?"