Does the Past Have a Future: The Political Economy of Heritage (Readings , No 47)

Many countries are proud of their 'heritage,' in terms of buildings various artefacts from the past. In some cases, a country's heritage is of such interest that people will travel ong distances to view it. But there are resource costs in preserving the past and presenting it: the resources so emplyed could have been used in other activities. How are decisions made about what should be preserved and how should those decisions be made? In Does the Past have a Future?, eight distinguished authors (from France, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States) examine such questions and consider alternative means of making preservation decisions, ranging from voting rights for citizens to various forms of privatisation.