LEADER 04233nam 2200697 a 450 001 9910457808703321 005 20200520144314.0 010 $a0-674-06305-8 024 7 $a10.4159/harvard.9780674063051 035 $a(CKB)2550000000074552 035 $a(OCoLC)768123030 035 $a(CaPaEBR)ebrary10518210 035 $a(SSID)ssj0000551173 035 $a(PQKBManifestationID)11355812 035 $a(PQKBTitleCode)TC0000551173 035 $a(PQKBWorkID)10525962 035 $a(PQKB)10802849 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC3301000 035 $a(DE-B1597)178312 035 $a(OCoLC)840438885 035 $a(DE-B1597)9780674063051 035 $a(Au-PeEL)EBL3301000 035 $a(CaPaEBR)ebr10518210 035 $a(EXLCZ)992550000000074552 100 $a20110324d2011 uy 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aurcn||||||||| 181 $ctxt 182 $cc 183 $acr 200 10$aDesign for liberty$b[electronic resource] $eprivate property, public administration, and the rule of law /$fRichard A. Epstein 210 $aCambridge, Mass. $cHarvard University Press$d2011 215 $a1 online resource (246 p.) 300 $aBibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph 311 $a0-674-06184-5 320 $aIncludes bibliographical references and index. 327 $aThe 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. 330 $aFollowing 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. 606 $aLiberty 606 $aRule of law 606 $aNatural law 606 $aRight of property$zUnited States 606 $aRule of law$zUnited States 606 $aLaw$xPolitical aspects$zUnited States 608 $aElectronic books. 615 0$aLiberty. 615 0$aRule of law. 615 0$aNatural law. 615 0$aRight of property 615 0$aRule of law 615 0$aLaw$xPolitical aspects 676 $a340/.11 686 $aMD 4500$2rvk 700 $aEpstein$b Richard A$057411 801 0$bMiAaPQ 801 1$bMiAaPQ 801 2$bMiAaPQ 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910457808703321 996 $aDesign for liberty$92441027 997 $aUNINA