Law and Economics
Fall 2010 GMU Syllabus

Economics 415, meets Tuesdays, 10:30-11:45am during Fall 2010, in Blueridge Hall, Room 129.

Instructor: Robin D. Hanson, Associate Professor, Economics (rhanson@gmu.edu, http://robinhanson.com)
Office Hours: Officially Tues-Thurs 1:30-3p. But I'm usually in at Carow Hall 10A. Call ahead (703-993-2326) if you want to be sure.

Catalog Entry:

Econ 415 Law and Economics (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ECON 306 or permission of instructor. An economic analysis of the law. Topics include an introduction to legal institutions and legal analysis; application of economic concepts to the law of property, contracts and torts, criminal law, and constitutional law; the economic efficiency of the common law; and a public choice perspective on the evolution of the law.
Required Texts:
David D. Friedman, Law's Order: What Economics Has to Do with Law and Why It Matters, Princeton Univ. Press 2000, ISBN 0691090092.
Recommended Text:

A. Mitchell Polinsky, Introduction To Law and Economics, Third Edition Aspen Publishers, 2003, ISBN 9780735534735.

Robert Cooter and Thomas Ulen, Law and Economics, Fifth Edition, Addison Wesley 2008, ISBN 0-321-33634-8
Goal of Class
Gain familiarity with basic facts and issues in the economics of law, and an ability to use basic economics to argue for particular legal outcomes.
Assignments: Legal Opinion Topics
  1. Property: Who Gets What Asteriods and Sunlight?
  2. Contract: What remedy or damages for cuckold?
  3. Defend a Design: A punishment plan for any punishment level
Due Dates: Grade Weights: Class Participate 5%, 13% per Quiz and paper, 17% final.
Week Text ChaptersLecture Topics
31 AugF1-3, P1-2, C1-2 Law Intro, Economics Review
7 Sept C3 Law and Legal Institutions
14 SeptF4, C4 Coasean Analysis No Class Thursday
21 SeptF5,10, P4, C4 Property
28 SeptF11, C5 Property Continued
5 Oct F12, P5, C6 Contract
12 Oct Contract Continued No Class Tuesday
19 Oct F13, P8, C7 Contract Continued
26 Oct F14, P6, C8 Tort
2 Nov F14, P7, C9 Tort Continued
9 Nov C10, P16 Legal Process
16 Nov F15, P10, C11 Crime
23 Nov F18, P11, C12 Crime Continued No Class Thursday
30 NovF17 Private Law
7 Dec Other Alternatives No Class Tuesday
14 Dec Final Exam, 10:30am-1:15pm.

Disability Notice

If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 703.993.2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through that office.

This page is on web at http://robinhanson.com/EC415F10.html