June 28, 2010
New entry on Pursuit of Justice

Just a quick pointer to The Beacon where I'm blogging a series of posts on my new book, The Pursuit of Justice: Law and Economics of Legal Systems.

In this post I will discuss how the law evolves instrumentally — that is, to serve private interests rather than the public interest.

Law is often assumed to be a public good that can only be (or is best) provided by governments. Yet despite traditional beliefs and wishes, government-produced law is frequently driven to serve particular narrow interests. Three of the chapters in The Pursuit of Justice analyze legal history to exemplify this point.

Enjoy.

Posted by Edward J. Lopez at 10:43 AM in Economics

The statesman who should attempt to direct private people in what manner they ought to employ their capitals would not only load himself with a most unnecessary attention, but assume an authority which could safely be trusted, not only to no single person, but to no council or senate whatever, and which would nowhere be so dangerous as in the hands of a man who had folly and presumption enough to fancy himself fit to exercise it. -Adam Smith

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