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Michael D. Gilbert, Public Law and Economics
Michael D. Gilbert, Public Law and Economics
Date：2023-07-03
On May 30, 2023, Michael D. Gilbert, Professor and Associate Dean of the University of Virginia School of Law, gave an online lecture on "Public Law and Economics." The lecture provided a cutting-edge understanding of the economics of law and was well received.
Economics, which originated in Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations," is a relatively young discipline compared to jurisprudence. Until the 1960s, legal scholars typically viewed economics as a tool to aid in the determination of facts, and would not have considered economics to guide the operation or interpretation of the law. However, in the 1960s, economics entered the mainstream of legal studies under the impetus of Ronald Coase and Richard Posner, and evolved into what is now known as the "economics of law."
In his book "Public Law and Economics," co-authored with Robert D. Cooter, Gilbert uses legal economics to discuss many traditional American public law issues, such as federalism, legal barriers (entrenchment), and voting rights. He argues that the economics of law can help us understand the separation of powers between the federal and state branches of government under the U.S. Constitution, as well as the design of legal barriers to prevent government abuse. Legal economics can also help us to alleviate the problem of fake news.
Gilbert's lecture was well received by the audience, and it is clear that the economics of law is a growing field of study with the potential to make significant contributions to our understanding of public law.
Economics, which originated in Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations," is a relatively young discipline compared to jurisprudence. Until the 1960s, legal scholars typically viewed economics as a tool to aid in the determination of facts, and would not have considered economics to guide the operation or interpretation of the law. However, in the 1960s, economics entered the mainstream of legal studies under the impetus of Ronald Coase and Richard Posner, and evolved into what is now known as the "economics of law."
In his book "Public Law and Economics," co-authored with Robert D. Cooter, Gilbert uses legal economics to discuss many traditional American public law issues, such as federalism, legal barriers (entrenchment), and voting rights. He argues that the economics of law can help us understand the separation of powers between the federal and state branches of government under the U.S. Constitution, as well as the design of legal barriers to prevent government abuse. Legal economics can also help us to alleviate the problem of fake news.
Gilbert's lecture was well received by the audience, and it is clear that the economics of law is a growing field of study with the potential to make significant contributions to our understanding of public law.
- Speaker Profile：
Michael Gilbert is a professor of law and the vice dean at the University of Virginia School of Law. He teaches courses on election law, legislation, and law and economics, and his current research focuses on campaign finance law, corruption and the adjudication of "culture war" disputes. In 2022, Oxford University Press published Gilbert's book, Public Law and Economics. His research has appeared in multiple law reviews, peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, and he has lectured throughout the United States and around the world, including in Ecuador, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, China, Israel and Mexico.
To learn more about the event, please check out: https://www.law.pku.edu.cn/xwzx/xwdt/150586.htm