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.


Learning from the Past: It's Time to Reevaluate the Renewable Fuel Standards

Congress should reevaluate whether the Renewable Fuel Standard is accomplishing its intended goals.

Regulatory Pay as you Go: Lessons from Other Countries

Different strategies and tools have been used to control the aggregate regulatory costs of new regulations and to reduce the burden of existing ones.

Hogan’s Had It with Burdensome Regulations

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced the establishment of a new Regulatory Reform Commission to combat regulatory burdens.

Senate Explores a Regulatory Budget to Increase Transparency, Oversight

On June 23, 2015, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and Committee on the Budget held a joint hearing to explore the possibility of a regulatory budget. Two GW Regulatory Studies Center Scholars participated in the hearing.

Escaping the "Smoke and Mirrors" in Benefit Cost Analysis

On June 18, five experts shared their views on the proper scope of BCA and the role that Congress and the Courts should play in the rulemaking process.

Supreme Court's EPA Mercury Ruling is a Victory for Common Sense Regulation

The ruling is a victory for common sense regulation, and for Americans who object to government agencies spending consumers' money as if it were free.

Making Regulation More Accountable

Senate bill would require independent regulatory agencies to follow same regulatory review principles long used in the executive branch agencies

Regulatory Action Holding Steady in Spring 2015 Unified Agenda

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released its semiannual Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions for Spring 2015.

Regulators' Budget Increases Consistent with Growth in Fiscal Budget

This year’s “regulators’ budget” presents the President’s requested budget outlays and staffing in fiscal year (FY) 2016.