Our Commentaries and Insights are short-form publications intended to distill long-form research and synthesize current policymaking activity into easily understood concepts.
A Project Worth Watching at OIRA
Building up the ability for agencies to conduct effective benefit-cost analysis was difficult when President Clinton authored Executive Order 12866 in 1993, so too will be building out better distributional analysis under President Biden’s “Modernizing Regulatory Review” Memorandum. It was worth the effort then, and it will be worth the effort now.
Seismic Shift In The Regulatory Tide
The first two months of the Biden-Harris administration indicate a departure from the traditional regulatory review practices embraced by both parties.
The General Services Administration updated the classic version of Regulations.gov, the primary website used for accepting public comments.
Regulatory Benefit-Cost Analysis—Advice for a New Presidential Term
SBCA organized a panel dispensing advice to the incoming Biden administration on improving and expanding the use of benefit-cost analysis.
Regulatory Sentiment and Uncertainty under the Trump Administration
The impact of regulatory policy depends on how it is designed and implemented, but public perceptions and subjective attitudes about regulation can also play important roles in how it affects the economy. Using newspaper text, I track sentiment and uncertainty about regulation until January 31, 2021 and discuss how they changed during the Trump and previous administrations in this commentary.
Extending Executive Order 12866 to Independent Regulatory Agencies
A DOJ opinion means that the president can require the independent agencies to perform benefit-cost analyses of all significant regulations.
A Last-Minute Attempt to Partially X the X Waiver
Although HHS appears to have the legal authority to provide exemptions from buprenorphine requirements, taking time to ensure flexibilities are legally defensible will promote the uptake of the policies in the long term.
The Regulators' New Marching Orders
Biden's Inauguration Day actions foreshadow a move away from the bipartisan emphasis on evidence-based policy and signal a less humble approach to regulating.
Two Rules President Biden Needs To Make His Ambitious Environmental Agenda Successful
Two Trump-era EPA rules President Biden is targeting for removal could help, not hinder, his ambitious regulatory goals.
2020 Regulatory Year in Review:
This Regulatory Insight recaps ten notable themes related to federal regulations that occurred in 2020. Regulatory policymaking frequently intersected with noteworthy challenges facing the country.
