Commentaries & Insights

Our Commentaries and Insights are short-form publications intended to distill long-form research and synthesize current policymaking activity into easily understood concepts.


Better Economic Analysis Can Reduce Regulators’ Litigation Risks

Recent research sheds light on the relationship between the quality of an agency’s economic analysis and the risk that a regulation will be overturned in court.

OIRA’s Regulatory Reform Report for Fiscal Year 2019

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) released its annual Regulatory Reform Status Report on December 6, 2019. The report, which in the past has been published along with the Fall Unified Agenda, compiles executive branch agencies’ continued efforts to comply with Executive Order 13771.

Tracking Regulatory Activity through Trends in Federal Budgets

Comparing Regulators' Budget reports provides a way to analyze administrations' regulatory priorities and assess the extent to which they are realized.

Are Agencies Responsive To Mass Comment Campaigns?

In this age of clicktivism, federal agencies sometimes receive a large number of public comments during rulemaking. High-profile rules such as greenhouse gas emissions and Restoring Internet Freedom garnered millions of public comments. Advocacy organizations orchestrate campaigns to encourage politically conscious citizens to send letters in favor or against proposed regulations.