A Conservative Case for Land Reform

Land reform rarely finds favor in the eyes of conservatives. To many of them, it smacks of redistributionism, government tinkering, and social engineering. But land reform comes in many different guises, some of which enhance the cause of freedom. It behooves conservatives to reconsider the matter.

The land reform most recently in the headlines has been the program in El Salvador, which was launched in 1979, with major backing from the United States, after a military coup by reform-minded officers. Despite much speculation to the contrary, President Reagan continued strong American support for the program, but even with his endorsement, it has drawn heavy fire from some leading conservatives.

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Rhoda Rabkin

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Land reform rarely finds favor in the eyes of conservatives. To many of them, it smacks of redistributionism, government tinkering, and social engineering. But land reform comes in many different guises, some of which enhance the cause of freedom. It behooves conservatives to reconsider the matter.

The land reform most recently in the headlines has been the program in El Salvador, which was launched in 1979, with major backing from the United States, after a military coup by reform-minded officers. Despite much speculation to the contrary, President Reagan continued strong American support for the program, but even with his endorsement, it has drawn heavy fire from some leading conservatives.