THe People's Welfare

Hi All- just about to start reading The People's Welfare.  In case you are looking for a complementary reading for this book for this week, I'm presenting B. Zorina Khan's article "Justice in the Marketplace": Legal Disputes and Economic Activity on America's Northeastern Frontier.  Her article provides an interesting case study of Maine from its colonial era as part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony through its statehood in 1820.  What I found interesting was that she (or he....not sure- I will look that up) argued market transactions in colonial Maine were orderly in a "pre capitalist" or even a pre-industrial America.  The courts transitioned from hearing a majority of "moral economy" cases that involved charges of, for example, fornication, to those relating to debts, property, and economic transactions.  IN contrast to other scholarly theses that the rise of job specialization and division of labor broke down community bonds and interpersonal exchanges, Khan asserted specialization of labor led to the formalization of the legal system in Maine with trained professional lawyers where the courts, which were pretty democratic, were open to people of all socio-economic statuses to file suits.  I hope this gives everyone a glimpse into Novak's book and some things to think about for Wednesday.