MPE_LAEC Law and Economics

Faculty of Economics and Administration
Autumn 2014
Extent and Intensity
1/1. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Ing. Josef Montag, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Ing. Štěpán Mikula, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
doc. Ing. Štěpán Mikula, Ph.D.
Department of Economics – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Contact Person: Lydie Pravdová
Supplier department: Department of Economics – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Timetable
Tue 15:30–17:00 S313
Prerequisites
Working knowledge of intermediate-level microeconomics and related technical tools (constrained optimization) is assumed. Wherever necessary, micro tools may be re-introduced so that no one is left behind. All literature is in English, so appropriate reading skills are needed. No prior training in law is required; relevant legal concepts will be introduced and discussed in class or covered in reading material. Some acquaintance with econometrics may be helpful, but is not essential.
Course material should be accessible to MA-level students. PhD students are welcome as well as advanced BA students, especially those considering writing their thesis on a related topic.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The course will cover basic concepts and models of economic analysis of law with main focus on three core areas: property, accidents, and crime. Apart from textbook material, we will discuss some seminal papers as well as more recent (mostly empirical) ones.
Students will obtain a general overview of the field of Law and Economics. They will learn basic concepts and theories, read seminal papers, learn about influential authors, as well as receive a sample of more recent research papers in the field. Most importantly, students should be able to apply those concepts to real problems and use them in analyzing rules and cases.
Syllabus
  • 1. Economics and law -- the relationship (2 weeks)
  • 2. Accidents (3 weeks)
  • 3. Problem set 1 (1 week)
  • 4. Property (3 weeks)
  • 5. Crime and punishment (2 weeks)
  • 6. Problem set 2 (1 week)
  • 7. Students’ cases presentation and discussion (1 week)
Literature
    required literature
  • COOTER, R.B. and T. ULEN. Law and Economics. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. ISBN 0-13-254065-7. info
    recommended literature
  • POSNER, Richard A. Economic analysis of law. 8th ed. Austin: Wolters Kluwer, 2011, xxiii, 100. ISBN 9780735594425. info
Teaching methods
Classes: Concepts and basic theory will be introduced in lectures and we will then look at more specific topics during seminars. Active participation in lectures as well as seminars is encouraged.
Readings: Lectures and seminars complement assigned literature, not vice versa. That is, reading material beyond what was explicitly covered in class may be assigned. For seminars, knowledge of lectured material and assigned reading will be assumed.
Problem sets: There will be two take-home problem sets. Working in groups is encouraged, but everyone turns in his/her own solution. We will then work the solutions out in class.
Court case analysis: We will create groups of about three students. The task will be to find an interesting court case and analyze it as economists. This will require some background research of the relevant literature. The group should produce a short paper containing summary of the case and the analysis. This paper will be read by another group, which should provide you with feedback. We will then discuss your case in class.
Assessment methods
Final grade will be given based on student’s relative performance.
  • Class participation - 20 points
  • Problem sets (take home) - 20 points
  • Court case analysis - 20 points
    Equal number of points will be assigned to each group member unless the group indicates each member’s contribution.
  • Final test - 40 points
    A 90-minute open-book test containing, couple questions requiring short answer and 2 to 3 questions requiring a short essay-like answer. You can bring any material as long as it on paper---that is no electronic devices are allowed. Problem sets should give you a general idea of what to expect in the exam.
    • Language of instruction
    English
    Further Comments
    Study Materials
    The course is taught annually.
    Information about innovation of course.
    This course has been innovated under the project "Inovace studia ekonomických disciplín v souladu s požadavky znalostní ekonomiky (CZ.1.07/2.2.00/28.0227)" which is cofinanced by the European Social Fond and the national budget of the Czech Republic.

    logo image
    Teacher's information
    http://sites.google.com/site/josefmontag/josef/teaching
    The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2013, Autumn 2015.
    • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2014, recent)
    • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/econ/autumn2014/MPE_LAEC