This article surveys the theory of the public enforcement of law -- the use of public agents (inspectors, tax auditors …, police, prosecutors) to detect and to sanction violators of legal rules. We first present the basic elements of the theory … examine a variety of extensions of the central theory, concerning accidental harms, costs of imposing fines, errors, general …

enforcement are discussed in the chapters that follow. In chapter 20, the basic theory of public enforcement employing monetary … sanctions is discussed; in chapter 21, the basic theory of enforcement using nonmonetary sanctions is examined; and in chapter … 22, extensions to the basic theory are considered. Then, in chapter 23, functions of sanctions apart from deterrence …