All Publications

Milestones in the Evolution of the Administrative State

November 18, 2020

The modern administrative state, as measured by number of agencies, their budgets and staffing, and the number of regulations they issue, has grown significantly over the last hundred years. This essay reviews the origins of the administrative state, and identifies four milestone efforts to hold it accountable to the American people: passage of the Administrative Procedure Act in 1946, the economic deregulation of the 1970s and ‘80s, requirements for ex-ante regulatory impact analysis, and White House review.

Motor Carrier Rate Bureaus

November 10, 2020

Craig Keats participated in our Delivering the Goods event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Staggers Rail Act and Motor Carrier Act.

Regulatory Impact Analysis in Brazil

November 4, 2020

The Federal government of Brazil issued an executive order that made regulatory impact analysis (RIA) mandatory for regulations.

DHS's Affidavit of Support on Behalf of Immigrants

November 2, 2020

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proposing to amend its regulations governing the affidavit of support requirements under section 213A of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The department estimates that the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) will produce direct net costs of up to $2.0 billion over 10 years.

Sophisticated Economics for Complex Regulatory Reform

October 28, 2020

aul Milgrom and Robert Wilson were selected for the 2020 Nobel prize in economic sciences in part because their work has been used “to design new auction formats for goods and services that are difficult to sell in a traditional way, such as radio frequencies.”

Effect of Deregulation on Labor Markets

October 27, 2020

James Peoples is a professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. He participated in our recent webinar series, Delivering the Goods, that looked at how the Staggers Rail Act and Motor Carrier Act were passed, and what effect they had on the surface freight industry. Professor Peoples’ continues his reflections in this Commentary.

Biometrics and Immigration

October 13, 2020

The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) from DHS would amend regulations on the use and collection of biometrics by USCIS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The Effects of GDPR on the Digital Economy

October 8, 2020

We review the existing literature on privacy, particularly GDPR, from a policy perspective. The evidence outlines data regulation's effects on competition, innovation, marketing activities, and cross-border data flows. The discussion highlights the tradeoffs between increased regulation of data protection and its effects on the market.

A Model for Bipartisan Cooperation

October 7, 2020

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Motor Carrier Act and the Staggers Rail Act, which substantially deregulated prices, entry, and exit in surface freight transportation. These reforms are noteworthy because they produced enormous consumer benefits, there is a strong scholarly consensus about their effects, and they enjoyed significant bipartisan support. The Regulatory Studies Center will host an online symposium to commemorate these regulatory reforms and draw lessons for the future.

Reflections on the EPA at 50

October 1, 2020

At 50 years old, the EPA is the focus of some bitter controversies, but the nature of its mission should be something that unites more than it divides us.