This article surveys the theory of the public enforcement of law -- the use of public agents (inspectors, tax auditors …, police, prosecutors) to detect and to sanction violators of legal rules. We first present the basic elements of the theory …, focusing on the probability of imposition of sanctions, the magnitude and form of sanctions, and the rule of liability. We then …

This chapter of the forthcoming Handbook of Law and Economics surveys the theory of the public enforcement of law %u … sanction imposed on a liable party be a fine, an imprisonment term, or a combination of the two? Should the rule of liability … extensions of the central theory, including: activity level; errors; the costs of imposing fines; general enforcement; marginal …

discharges contaminate riparian properties belonging to multiple owners, and we compare property rules, liability rules, and … to liability rules when there are few parties and bargaining is feasible, but they excessively deter efficient pollution … liability rules to regulation. An empirical analysis of water quality in the U.S. before and after the Clean Water Act shows …