Evolutionary approaches to legal change

Arbeitspapier

Institutions matter both for long-term economic evolution as well as for more short-termed economic performance. The law is particularly important in shaping the institutional framework for economic activities. This paper gives an overview of typical evolutionary explanations of legal change, i.e. the generation and dissemination of legal innovations over time. The main actors, the key determinants, and the central mechanisms are identified. In addition to approaches which deal primarily with statutory respectively judge-made legal change, the concept of legal paradigms and path dependence, the co-evolution of law and technology and the impact of institutional competition on legal change are discussed.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Thünen-Series of Applied Economic Theory - Working Paper ; No. 47

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Current Heterodox Approaches: Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary ; Current Heterodox Approaches: Austrian ; Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior: General ; Capitalist Systems: Political Economy
• Subject: Evolutionary Economics ; Law and Economics ; Judge-made Legal Change ; Legislation ; Technological Change ; Path Dependence

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Eckardt, Martina
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Universität Rostock, Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre
• (where): Rostock
• (when): 2004

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/39721
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET