What did the Founders actually mean when they declared that “all men are created equal”? Where did those ideas come from? And how did the friendship of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams impact America’s founding?
In a fascinating conversation about his new book, Proclaiming Liberty: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the Declaration of Independence, Goldwater Institute Vice President for Legal Affairs Timothy Sandefur explores the ideas that sparked the American Revolution. Sandefur explains how the Declaration of Independence was rooted in centuries of legal and philosophical thought, why economic liberty was central to the Founders’ vision, and how Adams and Jefferson’s contrasting personalities combined to shape the birth of a nation.
Sandefur spoke with Jackie G. Cushman, president of the Adams Memorial Foundation, about the Founders’ fight for liberty and why the principles of the Declaration remain as relevant today as they were 250 years ago. Whether you’re a history buff or simply want a deeper understanding of America’s founding ideals, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. You can watch the conversation here.
Data Centers Aren’t the Problem. Scarcity Politics Is.
The future is arriving, and America is entering a new infrastructure age. Much of the political class is succumbing to a familiar temptation: slow it down by stoking fear of the unknown and imagining worst-case scenarios without acknowledging the benefits.
Nowhere is this clearer than with data centers. Across the country, local officials and community activists increasingly describe these facilities as threats to the electric grid, water supplies, and community character. In response, municipalities are turning to a usual toolkit of administrative resistance—emergency moratoriums, ad hoc zoning bans, and highly discretionary permitting loops designed to stop projects in their tracks rather than manage them.
In a new op-ed for Townhall, Jen Springman, Coalitions Manager at the Goldwater Institute, explains how reactionary policymaking fundamentally misunderstands what data centers are and how they work. Read more here.
Free Movie Screening: When Cops Become Robbers
What if the government could take your cash, car, or even your home—without ever charging you with a crime? Across America, that’s happening every day through a practice known as civil asset forfeiture.
Join the Goldwater Institute on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at the AMC Arizona Center 24 in downtown Phoenix for an exclusive complimentary screening of When Cops Become Robbers. It’s a powerful documentary exposing how civil asset forfeiture has transformed a tool once intended to stop drug cartels into a system that too often targets innocent Americans.
