All Publications

Bot-Generated Comments on Government Proposals Could Be Useful Someday

June 21, 2021

When the Federal Communication Commission asked the public what it thought about its net neutrality rules in 2017, the comments flooded in—including millions submitted under fake names by bot-comment-generators. These missives added no value and raised concerns that people’s identities were being stolen. Now everyone from Congressional Republicans to the New York State Attorney General have their sights set on shutting down the bots.

The Biden Administration’s First Unified Agenda

June 16, 2021

OIRA released its semiannual Unified Agenda, marking the first comprehensive look at the regulatory actions agencies are planning under President Biden.

Milestones in the Evolution of the Administrative State

June 15, 2021

The modern administrative state, as measured by several metrics, has grown significantly over the last hundred years.

Bridget Dooling & Rachel Potter to Study Use of Contracts in Rulemaking

June 7, 2021

Bridget C.E. Dooling, Research Professor at the GW Regulatory Studies Center, and Dr. Rachel A. Potter, Assistant Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia, have been selected to serve as consultants to the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS). They will study the use of contractors in the rulemaking process.

Playing Chicken with the CRA

June 4, 2021

When an agency fails to send a rule to Congress can private parties sue? The CRA has a special provision that bars court review that SCOTUS may review.

Engaging in the Rulemaking Process

June 3, 2021

The public has many opportunities to provide input as regulations are being developed.

Mass, Computer-Generated, and Fraudulent Comments

June 1, 2021

This report explores three forms of commenting in federal rulemaking that have been enabled by technological advances: mass, fraudulent, and computer-generated comments.

DHS: Do More than Just Reverse the Reversal

May 26, 2021

The recent decision from DHS to retain the international entrepreneur program is sensible, but the agency can do more.

Let’s Not Forget George Stigler’s Lessons about Regulatory Capture

May 20, 2021

George Stigler’s theory of economic regulation opened our eyes to the rent-seeking that undermines the public interest.

HHS Eases Requirements for Treating Opioid Patients with Buprenorphine

May 19, 2021

The Department of Health and Human Services recently released guidelines that make it easier to prescribe buprenorphine to patients with opioid use disorder.