Cato’s scholars address a wide range of constitutional and legal issues—including federalism, property rights, civil liberties, criminal law and procedure, qualified immunity, civil asset forfeiture, and the Second Amendment, to name a few. Cato expects the judiciary to be the “bulwark” of our liberties, as James Madison put it, neither making up nor ignoring the law but interpreting and applying it through the natural rights tradition we inherited from the Founding generation.
Constitution and Law
Free Speech Makes for Strange Bedfellows
The First Amendment isn’t a progressive or conservative right, a Democratic or Republican right. It’s an American right. On that, at least, we should be able to agree.
Policing Reform Demands an End to Qualified Immunity
As Congress mulls policing reform, it’s still unclear if an end to qualified immunity will be included. Clark Neily details reform options on the table and why the invented Supreme Court doctrine needs to go.
‘Partly Constitutional’ Isn’t Enough: Senate Should Reject the ‘For the People Act’
In other forms, parts of the Democrats’ election bill have already been struck down in the courts. But Democrats are proceeding anyway.
Expect Ban on Menthol Cigarettes to Worsen Inequities in Criminal Justice
If public health officials wish to reduce smoking among minorities and young adults, they should continue their highly effective campaign of persuasion.
How Anti‐Immigrant and Anti‐Gun Advocates Make the Same Bad Arguments
From arguing from anecdotes to close “loopholes,” to being misinformed on the facts, anti‐immigrant and anti‐gun advocates often make very similar bad arguments.
Legal Briefs
Cato at the Supreme Court
The Cato Institute is one of the biggest filers of amicus curiae (Latin for “friend of the court”) briefs in the Supreme Court. Amicus curiae briefs are filed by third parties who have a special interest or expertise in a case and want to influence the Court’s decisions in a particular way. In all our briefs Cato maintains an unwavering commitment to articulating for the Court how the principles of liberty and a commitment to the original public meaning of the Constitution should guide their decisions.
Featured Publications
Cornerstone of Liberty
Property Rights in 21st Century America
This book shows why the right to ownership is one of the most essential of human rights, how that right is protected in the U.S. Constitution, and how ordinary property owners can help rein in government violations of private property rights.
Cato Pocket Constitution
To encourage people everywhere to better understand and appreciate the principles of government that are set forth in America’s Founding documents, the Cato Institute published this pocket edition (3.5” x 5”) of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America.