LAW-10306 Law, Policy and Governance

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

Dutch

Contents:

This course is on the role of law and governance in Wageningen related fields of research. It deals with two central questions using both a legal scolarship and a law and sociology approach.
The first question is on law as an instrument of power. How do governments implement policy choices using law? What principles of law and what rules from national and international law regulate the use of legal instruments? What are the social consequences of legal instruments? What are social causes of the fact that policy choices are implemented using law? How does law work?
The second question is on how law can prevent the misuse of power by the government. How can governments be bound by law in such a way that it protects the citizens against abuse of power by their government? What does rule of law, or rechtsstaat, mean for legal instruments? What are the consequences of rule of law? How does it work in practice? What role does the discourse on rule of law play in processes of legitimation of government power?

Aims:

- knowledge on both legal scolarship and sociological approaches of law and its interrelations with governance;
- practice in the application of this knowledge in different Wageningen themes, such as: food, rural transformation, management of natural resources, land use planning, consumer behavior.

Activities:

- active participation in class;
- individual and group assignments on cases ;
- readings.

Examination:

Individual assignments, group-assignment and exam.

Literature:

More detailed information and reader with selected articles will be available some weeks in advance at the secretariat of Law and Governance.