ABSTRACT
THE CASE STUDIES prepared for this volume are very revealing. I find, hidden here, five key features of a “system” for allocating and managing water resources in Florida (and elsewhere in the United States). First, above all, in America we depend on government to protect us from ourselves when it comes to deciding whether and how to use water. If we all sought to maximize our own advantage, we would soon be left with nothing to drink. Presumably, because we are not able—as water users of various kinds—to plan ahead or work out our differences face to face or case by case, we have assigned responsibility (and authority) to numerous government agencies to make and enforce decisions.
