ABSTRACT

P erhaps in heaven all God’s children can have whatever they want. On earth, things desired have a pernicious tendency to be in short supply. Good land, food, water, housing, and energy never seem as abundant as the demand for them. University degrees, interesting jobs, competent mechanics, punctual doctors, movie roles, gold medals, corner offi ces, parking spaces, research grants, publications, beauty, admirers, fame, status, attention, and time all seem to be more coveted than possessed. These and thousands of other desiderata not only defi ne the goals of most human activity but prompt a fundamental question about the distribution of scarce resources: Who should get them and who should not?