New Goldwater report highlights the challenges, opportunities for protecting property rights

By Christina Sandefur
Executive Vice President, Goldwater Institute
Timothy Sandefur
Vice President for Litigation, Goldwater Institute
Private property is a fundamental human right. It is the guardian of all other rights. You cannot have freedom of press or religion if you cannot own a printer or a church. That’s why the U.S. Constitution refers to private property more than to any other right.
If we cannot be free to own, use, buy or sell property, then we cannot be free at all.
Today, we are excited to announce the release of a new report that highlights what the Goldwater Institute is doing to protect this pillar of freedom through the Property Ownership Fairness Act. Building on a decade of success in the state of Arizona, our report encourages other states to adopt this model legislation as the most effective means of stopping government from taking away your property rights.
We will discuss the report and our new book, Cornerstone of Liberty: Property Rights in the 21st Century, during a live Internet presentation today from the Cato Institute, starting at noon Eastern Time (9 a.m. Pacific time). Please join us by clicking here: www.cato.org/live
After you have watched the presentation or read the report, please tell us what you think of the Property Ownership Fairness Act. Your feedback will be extremely helpful as we move ahead to educate state policymakers about the critical need for this protection.
Thank you for your continued support of the Goldwater Institute that allows us to do this work to protect your rights.