The Relationship Between Termination of Policies and Contract Law.

T. M. Carhart

Expert InsightsPublished 1975

Considers the law of contracts as a guide to equitable treatment in terminating government policies. Most of the paper is devoted to explaining the basis and tenets of American contract law. One of man's most vital interests in a social setting is the fulfillment of those expectations that have been aroused in him by the voluntary conduct of other men. The law will enforce a certain class of such expectations, called contracts, in which one party definitely agrees to perform or to forbear some action in return for an inducement or counter-promise. A gratuitous promise is not enforceable, nor is one based on past rather than future performance. However, under the modern doctrine of "promissory estoppel," the behavior need not have been bargained for if it is a consequence of the promise. Thus, beneficiaries of government programs may have legal as well as equitable rights to protect, if they have made substantial changes (such as undertaking job training) on the basis of the program's promises. 16 pp. Ref.

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Carhart, T. M., The Relationship Between Termination of Policies and Contract Law. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1975. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P5497.html.
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