The Guardian of Every Other Right A Constitutional History of Property Rights [Hardcover]

The Guardian of Every Other Rightchronicles the pivotal role of property rights in fashioning the American constitutional order from the colonial era to the current controversies over eminent domain and land use controls. The book emphasizes the interplay of law, ideology, politics, and economic change in shaping constitutional thought and provides a historical perspective on the contemporary debate about property rights. Since publication of the original edition of this work, both academic and popular interest in the constitutional rights of property owners has markedly increased. Now in its third edition, this text has been revised to incorporate a full treatment of important judicial decisions, notable legislation, and scholarship since the second edition appeared in 1997. In particular, Ely provides helpful background and context for understanding the controversialKelodecision relating to the exercise of eminent domain power for public use. Covering the entire history of property rights in the United States, this new edition continues to fill a major gap in the literature of constitutional history and is an ideal text for students of legal and constitutional history.

Editor's Preface
Preface
Introduction
1. The Origins of Property Rights: The Colonial Period
2. The Revolutionary Era, 1765-1787
3. Property Must Be Secured : Establishing a New Constitutional Order
4. The Development of Property Rights in the Antebellum Era, 1791-1861
5. The Gilded Age and the Challenge of Industrialization
6. Progressive Reform and Judicial Conservatism, 1900-1932
7. The New Deal and the Demise of Laissez-Faire Constitutionalism
8. Property Rights and the Regulatory State
9. Epilogue
Notes
Bibliographical Essay
Index of Cases
Index

Acclaim for previous editions
An informative and balanced account of the history of property rights protections under the Constitution. --The American Journal of Legl³"