Henry George Foundation of Great Britain
Encyclopedia
The Henry George Foundation is an independent UK economic and social justice think tank
and public education group concerned with "the development of sound relationships between the citizen, our communities (from the local to the global) and our shared natural and common resources". The Henry George Foundation describes itself as "active on three broad fronts: research, education, and advocacy". The Foundation takes its name from Henry George
, the 19th Century economist and proponent of the taxation of land values
.
. The Foundation holds educational courses and organises conferences and other public events focussing on tax reform issues. It has sponsored academic research, published extensively, and advised legislators, civil servants and NGOs on land and tax reform matters.
and the Scottish League for the Taxation of Land Values
.
In 1969 (the regional leagues mostly having folded, with only the Scottish League in continuing existence) the United Committee launched ESSRA (Economic and Social Science Research Association), a registered charity, and transferred much of its activity to it. In 1991 the United Committee changed its name to the Centre for Incentive Taxation. Five years later, in 1996, all activities and assets of the various associated companies and other entities and initiatives (including publication of Land and Liberty) were re-gathered under the umbrella of the charitable company ESSRA, or were terminated, and the holding bodies dissolved. ESSRA then changed its name to The Henry George Foundation of Great Britain, Ltd.
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
and public education group concerned with "the development of sound relationships between the citizen, our communities (from the local to the global) and our shared natural and common resources". The Henry George Foundation describes itself as "active on three broad fronts: research, education, and advocacy". The Foundation takes its name from Henry George
Henry George
Henry George was an American writer, politician and political economist, who was the most influential proponent of the land value tax, also known as the "single tax" on land...
, the 19th Century economist and proponent of the taxation of land values
Land value tax
A land value tax is a levy on the unimproved value of land. It is an ad valorem tax on land that disregards the value of buildings, personal property and other improvements...
.
Activities
The Henry George Foundation is the publisher of the magazine Land&LibertyLand&Liberty
Land&Liberty is a quarterly magazine of popular political economics: its focus is the relationship between land and natural resource rights and 21st century economic policy...
. The Foundation holds educational courses and organises conferences and other public events focussing on tax reform issues. It has sponsored academic research, published extensively, and advised legislators, civil servants and NGOs on land and tax reform matters.
History
The Henry George Foundation is the present-day successor of a series of organisations and names that hails back to the United Committee for the Taxation of Land Values. The UCTLV was constituted on the 23rd March 1907 (a previous 'United Committee' had been formed in 1887) as a coordinating body for a number of organisations with the shared object of promoting the taxation of land values. These organisations continued to exist in parallel with the United Committee, and included a number of regional leagues for the taxation of land values and also the national bodies the English League for the Taxation of Land ValuesEnglish League for the Taxation of Land Values
The English League for the Taxation of Land Values was a historic precursor of two present-day reform bodies—the international umbrella organisation the IU and the UK think tank the Henry George Foundation...
and the Scottish League for the Taxation of Land Values
Scottish League for the Taxation of Land Values
The Scottish League for the Taxation of Land Valuesis an independent national campaigning organisation that advocates radical reform of Scotland's system of taxation. Known as The Scottish League, the organisation advances the programme of the nineteenth century American social reformer Henry George...
.
In 1969 (the regional leagues mostly having folded, with only the Scottish League in continuing existence) the United Committee launched ESSRA (Economic and Social Science Research Association), a registered charity, and transferred much of its activity to it. In 1991 the United Committee changed its name to the Centre for Incentive Taxation. Five years later, in 1996, all activities and assets of the various associated companies and other entities and initiatives (including publication of Land and Liberty) were re-gathered under the umbrella of the charitable company ESSRA, or were terminated, and the holding bodies dissolved. ESSRA then changed its name to The Henry George Foundation of Great Britain, Ltd.