Constitutional Law (Casebook) (Casebook)
by Geoffrey R. Stone
from Aspen Publishers, Inc.
Constitutional Law: Principles And Policies (Introduction to Law Series)
by Erwin Chemerinsky
from Aspen Publishers
Written by leading scholars, each title in the "Introduction to Law" series contains comprehensive treatment in black-letter style. Featuring footnotes citing to case law, statutory and other authorities, these volumes are ideal for in-depth research on particular issues and points of law.
Constitutional Law (Casebook Series)
by Erwin Chemerinsky
from Aspen Publishers, Inc.
Government Pirates: The Assault on Private Property Rights--and How We Can Fight It
by Don Corace
from Harper Paperbacks
After years of hard work and saving, you finally own a home. But don't get too comfortable. If government officials decide they want your property, they can take it--for a wide variety of shady reasons that go far beyond the usual definition of "public purposes." The courts have allowed these injustices to persist. And there is nothing you can do about it--not yet.
Real estate developer and property rights expert Don Corace offers the first in-depth look at eminent domain abuse and other government regulations that are strangling the rights of property owners across America. Government Pirates is filled with shocking stories of corrupt politicians, activist judges, entrenched bureaucrats, greedy developers, NIMBY (Not-in-My-Backyard) activists, and environmental extremists who conspire to seize property and extort money and land in return for permits. Corace provides the hard facts about individual rights and offers invaluable advice for those whose property may be in danger. It is the one book that every property owner in America has to read.
Questions for Don Corace
What will people learn from reading Government Pirates?
Readers will learn:
- How unelected and unaccountable judges have eroded the intent of our founding fathers to protect private property rights
- Four categories of takings by the government--eminent domain, local zoning laws, the regulation of wetlands and complying with the Endangered Species Act
- Forty shocking stories from across America of how homes and small businesses are either being seized or whose owners are being strangled by regulations
- A blueprint on how to turn the tide of abuse
There has been a lot of media attention about eminent domain abuse. Explain what eminent domain is for people who are not familiar with the term.
Eminent domain is the authority of government to seize property for a "public use." It was widely utilized in the 1800s to acquire land for railroads and post offices and then evolved to be used to build roads, schools, dams, and military bases. The takings clause in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution permits it: "[N]or shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation." Unfortunately, its definition has been expanded and its use abused.
What is your background and qualifications to write a book on property rights?
I have been a developer for over 25 years. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and learned the business from the ground up. My father was a developer and contractor. . .and the guy on the bulldozer. In my teens, I worked as a laborer, carpenter's apprentice, surveyor by day and attended city council meetings with him at night. Over the years, I have had hands-on experience in every aspect of the development process with projects valued at more than $2 billion. I have been involved in some of the most complex and controversial projects in the country. Although there have been plenty of excellent books written on property rights by lawyers or journalists, Government Piratesis the first to be written by someone who has actually been in the trenches, and who has had their own money on the line.
What motivated you to write the book?
I picked up my morning newspaper on June 24, 2005, and read that the Supreme Court voted 5 to 4 in the Kelo case. I was outraged. To give government the legal authority to seize property to simply generate more tax revenues is unconscionable. At the time I was also embroiled in an ugly controversy over a bald eagle whose nest was located on some property we owned. Certain neighborhood groups were using the Endangered Species Act as tool to stop the project. I realized that eminent domain abuse like what happened in the Kelo case was outrageous, but at least in eminent domain cases property owners are supposed to be compensated by law. In endangered species issues, the Endangered Species Act clearly trumps the Fifth Amendment and allows government to not only not compensate land owners, but also to extort land and money in return for approvals. The same applies to local zoning laws and the regulation of wetlands--where I have also had considerable experience. I knew then that I had to write the book.
Where do you stand on environmental issues?
I consider myself a conservationist, not an environmentalist. There is a big difference in my mind. I was raised to respect the environment and learned at an early age to hunt and fish and enjoy the outdoors. Many people who consider themselves environmentalists have made it their life's mission to protect the environment at all costs--including at the expense of private property rights and economic growth. On a deeper examination of their motives, you will find that many of them use environmental causes to further that agenda to promote an anti-capitalistic and government-mandated redistribution of wealth. It is true that environmentalists have been successful in shedding light on important environmental issues and have forced landowners and industry to find creative ways to develop property and natural resources while safeguarding the environment. Unfortunately, as evidenced by stories in my book, there are too many instances of environmentalists simply going too far.
What are your objectives for the book?
Although many property rights organizations throughout the country are doing an excellent job in fighting property rights abuse, we need to take it up another notch and use the media as a weapon. We need to educate the public and get a groundswell of support to make lawmakers and bureaucrats accountable for their actions. Efforts to pass meaningful reforms will not be successful unless these officials--as well as NIMBY's and environmental extremists are exposed. I feel it is my responsibility to shed light on the issues--and make those who do not respect property rights famous.
Why is the protection of property rights so important?
The founding fathers believed that "the right of property is the guardian of every other right," but it is also a basic human right. Our homes, land, and businesses are expressions of ourselves. They represent the fruits of our labors and a family's financial security.
Constitutional Law (University Casebook Series)
by Kathleen M. Sullivan
from Foundation Press
The Sixteenth Edition provides comprehensive coverage of all areas of constitutional law, including judicial review, separation of powers, federalism, due process, equal protection, free speech, and religious liberty. It emphasizes constitutional law as a species of law, and aims to enable students who use it to practice constitutional law as lawyers. It also seeks to illuminate the historical, theoretical, and philosophical background that bears on constitutional law and informs its practice. The 16th edition thoroughly revises, updates and streamlines this classic casebook, emphasizing contemporary problems in areas from the war on terror to new uses of the Internet. Highlights of the 16th edition include the final decisions of the Rehnquist Court, a preliminary look at the first two terms of the Roberts Court, and expanded analysis of recent controversial decisions from Hamdan v. Rumsfeld to Gonzales v. Raich and Kelo v. City of New London. It includes all key constitutional cases through the 2006-2007 Supreme Court Term, including the Court's latest holdings on abortion, race-based assigments in the public schools, drug-related speech by public school students, and limits on campaign finance.
How Democratic is the American Constitution? Second Edition
by Robert A. Dahl
from Yale University Press
In this provocative book, one of our most eminent political scientists questions the extent to which the American Constitution furthers democratic goals. Robert Dahl reveals the Constitution's potentially antidemocratic elements and explains why they are there, compares the American constitutional system to other democratic systems, and explores how we might alter our political system to achieve greater equality among citizens. In a new chapter for this second edition, he shows how increasing differences in state populations revealed by the Census of 2000 have further increased the veto power over constitutional amendments held by a tiny minority of Americans. He then explores the prospects for changing some important political practices that are not prescribed by the written Constitution, though most Americans may assume them to be so.
Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Rights, Liberties, and Justice
by Lee Epstein
from CQ Press
Examining the Supreme Court's interpretation of the basic liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments to the Constitution, the authors cover such important topics as freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, discrimination, and political participation. Shaving off 50 pages with strategic streamlining, the book is now leaner, allowing students to engage more effectively with material, while allowing instructors to assign more cases without necessarily assigning more pages. Bringing the volume fully up-to-date, this sixth edition gives increased attention to the electronic age and the significance of the Internet on speech, press, libel, obscenity, and privacy, as well as the impact of the war on terrorism on rights, liberty, and justice.
The U.S. Constitution: And Fascinating Facts About It
by Terry L. Jordan
from Oak Hill Publishing Company
In The U.S. Constitution & Fascinating Facts About It you'll see the entire text of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence--and much more! You'll find interesting insights into the men who wrote the Constitution, how it was created, and how the Supreme Court has interpreted the Constitution in the two centuries since its creation.
Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints
by Lee Epstein
from CQ Press
In a thorough exploration of the Supreme Court's interpretation of the political power distributed by the Constitution, Epstein and Walker explain and analyze such essential concepts as separation of powers and federalism, as well as the authority to tax, spend, conduct war, regulate commerce, and limit rights to property and contracts. This revised volume includes both recent and important rulings on limits to federal power, and thoughtfully examines the impact of national emergencies, terrorism, and the war in Iraq on the government's capacity to act in the interests of national security.
The Constitution of the United States of America, with the Bill of Rights and all of the Amendments; The Declaration of Independence; and the Articles of Confederation
by Thomas Jefferson
from Wilder Publications
Collected here in one affordable volume are the most important documents of the United States of America: The Constitution of the United States of America, with the Bill of Rights and all of the Amendments; The Declaration of Independence; and the Articles of Confederation. These three documents are the basis for our entire way of life. Every citizen should have a copy.
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