Private Property and the Constitution: State Powers, Public Rights, and Economic Liberties

The right to private property remains a compelling topic within American government, constitutional law, and both political and legal philosophy. Constitutional constraints and allowances regarding private property lead to the use - and sometimes abuse - of law in terms of ownership, individual liberty, and the needs of the state. With state and federal statutes allowing for vast oversight of private property, concerns over the proper use of authority abound on domestic and national levels.

In Private Property and the Constitution, James L. Huffman outlines instances where police power, eminent domain law, and property rights have clashed in the courts. Addressing contemporary court cases, federal and state statutes, and the philosophical underpinnings of economic liberties, Huffman provides a careful analysis of private property rights within the framework of the Constitution - detailing how government interacts with public rights both successfully and unsuccessfully.