President Biden’s New Order: A Central Plan To Impose Competition
President Biden’s sweeping executive order aimed at promoting competition includes some promising actions but also many that will likely inhibit competition.
Publications
The GW Regulatory Studies Center scholars regularly conduct applied research to understand regulatory policy and practice from a public interest perspective. Our content often takes the form of public interest comments, formal testimony, working papers, policy insights, and short commentaries analyzing the most pressing issues in regulatory policy. View the rest of our material by the different types of publications listed on this page or our research areas.
What We Publish
Journal Articles & Working Papers
Long-form publications intended for academic audiences that take a deep dive into a particular aspect of regulatory policy.
Public Comments & Testimonies
Scholarly analysis of the potential effects of particular rulemakings from federal agencies, and advice to Congress on how to improve the rulemaking process.
Commentaries & Insights
Short-form publications intended for all audiences which provide easy to access analysis of regulatory policy.
Books & Reports
Formal publications, often completed with other leading organizations and individuals, providing a thorough understanding of regulations and the rulemaking process.
Newsletters
The weekly Regulation Digest contains everything you need to know about regulatory policy today, and our monthly Center Update gives you all of the latest from our team.
For accessible charts and supporting data that you can use in your own publications or presentations, visit the Reg Stats page.
Latest Publications
Agencies are Rescinding Guidance Regulations at a Rapid Pace
To implement President Biden’s Executive Order 13992, executive branch agencies have begun to rescind the thirty-two regulations promulgated in response to President Trump’s Executive Order 13891 on agency guidance documents. The fast withdrawal rate suggests that soon all guidance regulations will be reversed.
This comment offers two specific suggestions in response to issues that OMB sought comment on: Area 2 (Barrier and Burden Reduction) and Area 5 (Stakeholder and Community Engagement).
Congress recently passed three bills targeting Trump administration regulations for elimination. President Biden is expected to sign them, marking another historic “first” for use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA). To date, Democrats have yet to successfully use the oversight tool to strike regulations from the books.
DEA Lifts Moratorium on Methadone Vans
DEA released a final rule that lifts a ban on new methadone vans. The rule is expected to increase access to methadone in rural and underserved urban areas.
Sentiment and Uncertainty about Regulation
Regulatory policy can create economic and social benefits, but poorly designed or excessive regulation may generate substantial adverse effects on the economy.
The U.S. and Europe Are Embarking On Dramatically Different Paths To Better Regulation
Better regulation is a priority on both sides of the Atlantic, but recent directives from Europe and the U.S. reveal very different strategies for achieving it.
Bot-Generated Comments on Government Proposals Could Be Useful Someday
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
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
The modern administrative state, as measured by several metrics, has grown significantly over the last hundred years.