Self-Governance in Science

Commercial and academic communities use private rules to regulate everything from labour 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 analyses 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 emphasises 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.

Introduction

Part I. The First Hundred Years:
1. Prelude: self-governance to 1980

Part II. Commercial Science:
2. Legacy: the new self-governance
3. Commercial self-governance (I): private power
4. Commercial self-governance (II): private politics

Part III. Academic Science:
5. Legacy: academic self-governance in modern times
6. Academic self-governance: power and politics

Part IV. Legitimacy, Law and Policy:
7. Legitimacy
8. Law
9. Policy and practice
10. Extending the model

Conclusion