How Governing Institutions Fail and Succeed   [Archived Catalog]
2018-2019 School of Law Bulletin
   

LAWS 658 - How Governing Institutions Fail and Succeed


Credits: 2

This seminar prepares students for the work of designing, building, and working within complex institutions. Drawing on ideas from political science, law, history, economics (especially the economics of public choice), and social welfare, the seminar will focus on the often paradoxical and surprising reasons why institutions become co-opted, inefficient, unrepresentative, or otherwise fail to achieve their goals (and ways to avoid or prevent such failures). The course will examine institutions including legislatures, multi-member courts Like the Supreme Court), corporate boards, and administrative agencies. In considering case studies of possible institutional failure, the course will also examine how to design institutions to succeed.  Students will read and discuss both theoretical texts and primary documents, including legislation and judicial opinions.



Note: This course satisfies the perspective graduation requirement.

Basis of Grade: Class participation and response papers

Form of Grade: letter