Following a vast expansion in the twentieth century, government is beginning to creak at the joints under its enormous weight. The signs are clear: a bloated civil service, low approval ratings for Congress and the President, increasing federal-state conflict, rampant distrust of politicians and government officials, record state deficits, and major unrest among public employees. In this compact, clearly written book, the noted legal scholar Richard Epstein advocates a much smaller federal government, arguing that our over ...
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Following a vast expansion in the twentieth century, government is beginning to creak at the joints under its enormous weight. The signs are clear: a bloated civil service, low approval ratings for Congress and the President, increasing federal-state conflict, rampant distrust of politicians and government officials, record state deficits, and major unrest among public employees. In this compact, clearly written book, the noted legal scholar Richard Epstein advocates a much smaller federal government, arguing that our over-regulated state allows too much discretion on the part of regulators, which results in arbitrary, unfair decisions, rent-seeking, and other abuses. Epstein bases his classical liberalism on the twin pillars of the rule of law and of private contracts and property rights-an overarching structure that allows private property to keep its form regardless of changes in population, tastes, technology, and wealth. This structure also makes possible a restrained public administration to implement limited objectives. Government continues to play a key role as night-watchman, but with the added flexibility in revenues and expenditures to attend to national defense and infrastructure formation. Although no legal system can eliminate the need for discretion in the management of both private and public affairs, predictable laws can cabin the zone of discretion and permit arbitrary decisions to be challenged. Joining a set of strong property rights with sound but limited public administration could strengthen the rule of law, with its virtues of neutrality, generality, clarity, consistency, and forward-lookingness, and reverse the contempt and cynicism that have overcome us.
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Seller's Description:
Very good in very good dust jacket. Ex-library. x, 233 p.; 22 cm. LCCN 2011013082 Type of material Book Personal name Epstein, Richard A. Main title Design for liberty: private property, public administration, and the rule of law / Richard A. Epstein. Published/Created Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 2011. Description x, 233 p.; 22 cm. ISBN 9780674061842 (hbk. ) LC classification K487. L5 E66 2011 Contents Introduction: from small to large government--The traditional conception of the rule of law--Reasonableness standards and the rule of law--Where natural law and utilitarianism converge--Where natural law and utilitarianism diverge--Property rights in the grand social scheme--The bundle of rights--Eminent domain--Liberty interests--Positive-sum projects--Redistribution last--The rule of law diminished--Retroactivity--Modern applications: financial reform and health care--Final reflections. LC Subjects Liberty. Rule of law. Natural law. Right of property--United States. Rule of law--United States. Law--Political aspects--United States. Notes Includes bibliographical references (p. [195]-213) and indexes. Dewey class no. 340/.11 Geographic area code n-us---
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Seller's Description:
Used book in good and clean conditions. Pages and cover are intact. Limited notes marks and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. May include library marks. Fast Shipping.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. Very Good condition. Very Good dust jacket. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Seller's Description:
Fine in fine dust jacket. A fine copy in a fine mylar protected DJ. Probable 1st printing with no additional printings listed. DJ has some minor general wear. Overall, this is a nice tight copy with no names or inscriptions. 8vo; 248 pages.
