Document Type
Article
Abstract
This article examines an apparent paradox in comparative constitutional law. Property rights are not treated as a fundamental right in American constitutional law; they are, however, under the Basic Law (i.e., constitution) of Germany, a social-welfare state that otherwise gives less weight to property. The article uses this apparent paradox as a vehicle for considering the different reasons why constitutions protect property. It explains the difference between the German and American constitutional treatment of property on the basis of the quite different approaches taken in the two systems to the purposes of constitutional protection of property.
Date of Authorship for this Version
March 2003
Recommended Citation
Alexander, Gregory S., "Property as a Fundamental Constitutional Right? The German Example" (2003). Cornell Law Faculty Working Papers. 4.
https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/clsops_papers/4