Skip to main content

Public Enforcement

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Law and Economics
  • 48 Accesses

Abstract

This essay starts with discussions regarding what public enforcement is and why it is necessary. We explain economic rationales under which public enforcement becomes a superior sanctioning mode, in controlling many undesirable acts, to a wide variety of non-public sanctioning counterparts. Nonetheless, given that a large portion of the literature considers the high-cost aspect of public enforcement, the essay emphasizes the importance of lowering administrative costs and overcoming bureaucracy. From a similar perspective, we also examine the combination of public and non-public enforcement as well as the joint use of different modes of public enforcement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 819.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 1,099.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Becker G (1968) Crime and punishment: an economic approach. J Polit Econ 76:169–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker G, Stigler G (1974) Law enforcement, malfeasance, and compensation of enforcers. J Leg Stud 3:1–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhole B, Wagner J (2008) The joint use of regulation and strict liability with multidimensional care and uncertain conviction. Int Rev Law Econ 28:123–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowles R, Faure M, Garoupa N (2008) The scope of criminal law and criminal sanctions: an economic view and policy implications. J Law Soc 35:389–416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breton A, Wintrobe R (1982) The logic of bureaucratic control. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Calabresi G, Melamed D (1972) Property rules, liability rules, and inalienability: one view of the Cathedral. Harv Law Rev 85:1089–1128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Geest G, Dari-Mattiacci G (2007) Soft regulators, tough judges. Supreme Court Econ Rev 15:119–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ehrlich I, Becker G (1972) Market insurance, self-insurance and self-protection. J Polit Econ 80:623–648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellickson R (1973) Alternatives to zoning: covenants, nuisance rules, and fines as land use controls. Univ Chic Law Rev 40:681–714

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garoupa N, Gomez-Pomar F (2004) Punish once or punish twice: a theory of the use of criminal sanctions in addition to regulatory penalties. Am Law Econ Rev 6:410–433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolstad C, Ulen T, Johnson G (1990) Ex-post liability for harm vs. ex-ante safety regulation: substitutes or complements? Am Econ Rev 80:888–901

    Google Scholar 

  • La Porta R, Lopez-de-Silanes F, Shleifer A (2006) What works in securities laws? J Financ 61:1–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polinsky M, Shavell S (1984) The optimal use of fines and imprisonment. J Public Econ 24:89–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polinsky M, Shavell S (2000) The economic theory of public enforcement of law. J Econ Lit 38:45–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Posner R (2011) Economic analysis of law, 8th edn. Aspen Publishers, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Shavell S (1984a) Liability for harm versus regulation of safety. J Leg Stud 13:357–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shavell S (1984b) A model of the optimal use of liability and safety regulation. RAND J Econ 15:271–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shavell S (1993) The optimal structure of law and enforcement. J Law Econ 36:255–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Iljoong Kim .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Kim, I. (2019). Public Enforcement. In: Marciano, A., Ramello, G.B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Law and Economics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7753-2_391

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics