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Self-Policing in a Targeted Enforcement Regime

Author

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  • Sarah L. Stafford

    (Department of Economics, College of William and Mary)

Abstract

This paper adds to the debate over whether self-policing can increase environmental protection by considering an aspect of self-policing that has been ignored in previous models Ð that self-policing may influence future enforcement. The model combines self-policing with targeted enforcement and allows for both deliberate and inadvertent violations. As expected, rewarding self-policers with more lenient future enforcement increases auditing, remediation, and disclosure of inadvertent violations. Self-policing can also serve as a complement to deliberate compliance and can thus further increase environmental performance. However, under reasonable conditions self-policing can be a substitute for deliberate compliance and could therefore be detrimental to environmental protection.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah L. Stafford, 2006. "Self-Policing in a Targeted Enforcement Regime," Working Papers 26, Economics Department, William & Mary.
    • Handle: RePEc:cwm:wpaper:26
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    File URL: http://economics.wm.edu/wp/cwm_wp26.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sarah L. Stafford, 2007. "Should you turn yourself in? The consequences of environmental self-policing," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(2), pages 305-326.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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