SWAT Destruction
Public Benefit Private Burden
This study finds governments frequently refuse to compensate people when law enforcement damages their property for the common good—even though they could easily afford to make worthy owners whole.
Read The Report
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Policing for Profit 4
This fourth edition of IJ’s Policing for Profit report finds civil forfeiture is a massive unjustified threat to property and due process rights.
Immunity and Accountability
Unaccountable
The largest ever study of qualified immunity cases, Unaccountable finds the doctrine shields a wider array of officials and conduct than commonly thought while unacceptably burdening victims of government abuse and failing at its goals.
The Institute for Justice produces original research on issues central to our mission, and IJ legal experts often write reports to inform public policy debates.
IJ's Key Findings
Forfeiture often victimizes the innocent: In one survey, only 1 in 4 victims was found or pleaded guilty, but 69% lost their property forever.
Occupational licensing costs the economy 2 million jobs and as much as $184 billion in lost economic value.
IJ's Strategic Research
SWAT Destruction
Public Benefit Private Burden
This study finds governments frequently refuse to compensate people when law enforcement damages their property for the common good—even though they could easily afford to make worthy owners whole.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Policing for Profit 4
This fourth edition of IJ’s Policing for Profit report finds civil forfeiture is a massive unjustified threat to property and due process rights.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Bad Data
Every year, Indiana prosecutors produce reports for lawmakers detailing forfeiture activity in the state, but Bad Data shows these reports should be taken with a multimillion-dollar grain of salt.
Cosmetology | Occupational Licensing
Clean Cut
Clean Cut analyzed thousands of health inspections across four states and finds nail salons and barbershops were clean and safe, regardless of whether workers faced burdensome licensing, lighter licensing, or no licensing at all.
IJ's Landmark Research
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Policing for Profit 4
This fourth edition of IJ’s Policing for Profit report finds civil forfeiture is a massive unjustified threat to property and due process rights.
Economic Liberty | Occupational Licensing
License to Work 3
This third edition of IJ’s landmark License to Work report finds that for lower-income Americans, licensing continues to be widespread, burdensome and—frequently—irrational. It also provides a blueprint for meaningful licensing reform.
IJ's Legal and Policy Studies
Economic Liberty | Health
Striving for Better Care
A certificate of need (CON) is a government mandated permission slip that a provider must get before opening a healthcare facility or adding new services. CON laws began as an experiment to reduce government…
Immunity and Accountability
Constitutional GPA
Constitutional rights only exist if they can be enforced. But a confusing patchwork of immunity doctrines and special rules often means they cannot be. Chief among the doctrines that prevent constitutional accountability is qualified immunity,…
IJ's Scholarly Research
Report | Open Fields Doctrine