Economic Foundations of Law and Organization

Description

This book serves as a compact introduction to the economic analysis of law and organization. At the same time it covers a broad spectrum of issues. It is aimed at undergraduate economics students who are interested in law and organization, law students who want to know the economic basis for the law, and students in business and public policy schools who want to understand the economic approach to law and organization. The book covers such diverse topics as bankruptcy rules, corporate law, sports rules, the organization of Congress, federalism, intellectual property, crime, accident law, and insurance. Unlike other texts on the economic analysis of law, this text is not organized by legal categories but by economic theory. The purpose of the book is to develop economic intuition and theory to a sufficient degree so that one can apply the ideas to a variety of areas in law and organization.

Donald Wittman is Professor of Economics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He previously taught at the University of Chicago. Professor Wittman's book The Myth of Democratic Failure (1995) won the American Political Science Association award for the best title in political economy in the years 1994-1996. He is coeditor of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Political Economy. Professor Wittman's research has appeared in journals such as the American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy, American Political Science Review, Journal of Economic Theory, Journal of Legal Studies, Journal of Law and Economics, and Journal of Public Economics. His research has been supported by various National Science Foundation programs.

'This text is interesting and valuable, and has many useful things to say about both law and organization from a solid economic perspective. The author is a well-spring of theoretical knowledge, legal cases, examples, and stories, and this serves his teaching purposes well. An excellent textbook.' Prof. Avner Ben-Ner, Carlson School of Management, University of Florida 'This is a fascinating textbook. The writing is simple and down to earth, the ideas often complex and worth thinking about - a terrific combination in any book. It takes a fresh and easily readable approach to some familiar topics in law and economics. It should find a wide audience.' Prof. Keith Hylton, Boston University Law School 'I think that everyone teaching law and economics will want to buy a copy of this book. The 'bite-sized' chapters are easy to digest and well-directed. Professor Wittman has given us a concise discussion of a wide range of topics. I can guarantee that it will join David Friedman's book as the subject's most popular crib sheets.' Prof. Stephen Medema, University of Colorado, Denver