Introduction : alternatives to deterrence and legitimacy -- Expressive claims about law -- The focal point power of expression -- Law as focal point -- Law's focal power in dynamic perspective -- Legislation as information -- Revelation of information by legal enforcement -- The power of arbitral expression -- Normative implications -- Conclusion : law's expressive powers
Summary
Why do people obey the law? Law deters crime by specifying sanctions, and because people internalize its authority. But Richard McAdams says law also generates compliance through its expressive power to coordinate behavior (traffic laws) and inform beliefs (smoking bans)--that is, simply by what it says rather than what it sanctions
