Self-Governance in Science

Community-Based Strategies for Managing Dangerous Knowledge

Stephen M. Maurer

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781107171800
• eBook ISBN: 9781316774298
• Topic: Economics
• Subtopic: Economic Policy
• Index: Economics

Commercial and academic communities use private rules to regulate everything from labor conditions to biological weapons. This self-governance is vital in the twenty-first century, where private science and technology networks cross so many borders that traditional regulation and treaty solutions are often impractical. Self-Governance in Science analyzes the history of private regulation, identifies the specific market factors that make private standards stable and enforceable, explains what governments can do to encourage responsible self-regulation, and asks when private power might be legitimate. Unlike previous books which stress sociology or political science perspectives, Maurer emphasizes the economic roots of private power to deliver a coherent and comprehensive account of recent scholarship. Individual chapters present a detailed history of past self-government initiatives, describe the economics and politics of private power, and extract detailed lessons for law, legitimacy theory, and public policy.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title
• Title page
• Copyright information
• Dedication
• Table of contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Part I The First Hundred Years
• Part II Commercial Science
• Part III Academic Science
• Part IV Legitimacy, Law, and Policy
• Notes
• References
• Index