Constitutional Rights
The U.S. Constitution and state constitutions guarantee certain rights. Too often, government violates those rights instead of protecting them. The Goldwater Institute is committed to constitutional rule of law and focuses on property rights, campaign finance, legislative terms, balance of power among levels of government, processes of judicial appointment, and state sovereignty, among others.
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The Bill of Rights comes to Arizona
Posted on October 13, 2011 | Type: Blog | Author: Clint BolickIf a silver lining exists to the explosive growth of national power over the past several years, it is that Americans are turning to their federal and state constitutions, reading them, understanding them, and invoking them to protect their rights. So the time is especially appropriate to bring a part of the Constitution to the people.
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States must "Just Say No" to federal health insurance exchanges
Posted on October 04, 2011 | Type: Blog | Author: Diane CohenThe federal health care law gives states an option: Either establish insurance exchanges by January 1, 2014, or the Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish one for them. Amazingly, some states that otherwise oppose Obamacare are choosing to implement these exchanges.
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Montana Shooting Sports Association v. Holder
Posted on September 29, 2011 | Type: Amicus BriefThis case does not involve a mere clash between state and federal law. It involves the federal government’s effort to quash an exercise of state sovereignty that directly serves the structural purpose of federalism in our compound republic—the protection of individual liberty guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Such federal overreaching must be rejected if the vertical separation of powers established by the letter and spirit of our Constitution means anything.
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Goldwater Institute files suit vs. district over school bond law
Posted on August 24, 2011 | Type: In the News | Author: Mary Beth FallerThe Goldwater Institute is charging that legislation approved last year allowing school districts to spend unused bond money is unconstitutional because it benefits so few districts.
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2011 Legislative Report Card for Arizona
Posted on August 24, 2011 | Type: Policy Report | Author: Nick DraniasEngaged citizens make for good governments. That’s the central idea behind the ninth annual Institute Legislative Report Card, which takes into account 375 votes during the first session of Arizona’s fiftieth legislature. The result is a citizen-friendly tool for evaluating legislators’ votes against a simple, important standard: their impact on liberty.
