'The Public Interest' in Regulation [Hardcover]

The concept of the public interest is often used in legal and political discourse, lending an air of legitimacy and respectability to exercises of power. However the term is rarely defined in any meaningful sense. This book considers abstract concepts of public interest from the literature of law, political science, and economics. Using a series of case-studies from Britain and the USA, Feintuck explores how the concept is used in practice. Finally, Feintuck considers the legal forms in which the public interest might be manifested to offer legitimate and effective protection to vulnerable democratic values by the regulation of private power.


Part 1: Analytical Framework
1. How is the Public Interest Determined?
2. Towards a Cemocratic Vision of the Public Interest
Part 2: Case Studies
3. The Public Interest in Regulatory Activity I: UK
4. The Public Interest in Regulatory Activity II: USA
5. Divided by a Common language: TransAtlantic Comparisons
Part 3: Synthesis and Conclusions
6. The Holy Grail- or Just another Empty Vessel?
7. Reinvigorating the Public Interest
Bibliography
Index

We are indebted to Mike Feintuck for a sustained and focused examination of the legal literature's varied perspectives on the public interest. --The Law and Politics Book Review

Dr Mike Feintuckis Professor of Law at the University of Hull.