Our Commentaries and Insights are short-form publications intended to distill long-form research and synthesize current policymaking activity into easily understood concepts.
Effect of Deregulation on Labor Markets
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.
A Model for Bipartisan Cooperation
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.
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.
Regulations Teed Up at the DEA
Several of the regulations teed up at the Drug Enforcement Administration are long-awaited actions that seek to address the ongoing opioid epidemic.
GSA unveiled a beta version of Regulations.gov, including a new API with a feature that allows users to submit comments on federal rulemakings through an API.
Unintended Consequences of GDPR
Recent studies explore the reasons for troubling and unintended consequence of GDPR on competition and market concentration.
Mass, Computer-Generated, and Fraudulent Comments
The Administrative Conference of the United States requested proposals for a new project on “Mass, Computer-Generated, and Fraudulent Comments."
The public comment process offers a way to place evidence in an agency’s record that it might not otherwise consider, such as race-related effects.
Analyzing Agency Budgets for Regulatory Spending
This Regulatory Insight analyzes four Trump administration budget proposals to identify notable recurring trends in regulatory spending. Budget data indicate that spending on homeland security regulation has risen, while outlays for environment and energy regulation have fallen. Comparing the president’s budget proposals with actual outlays suggests where the administration has been largely successful in accomplishing its political goals and where Congress has hindered those goals.
OMB's original guidance on discounting from 1988 can help to resolve many misunderstandings about discounting that have developed since then.
