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.
Long-form publications intended for academic audiences that take a deep dive into a particular aspect of regulatory policy.
Scholarly analysis of the potential effects of particular rulemakings from federal agencies, and advice to Congress on how to improve the rulemaking process.
Short-form publications intended for all audiences which provide easy to access analysis of regulatory policy.
Formal publications, often completed with other leading organizations and individuals, providing a thorough understanding of regulations and the rulemaking process.
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.
A Taxonomy of Regulatory Forms
There is a lot of interest in understanding what effects regulations have on economic growth and other macroeconomic measures, but measuring those impacts is challenging, in part because regulatory metrics themselves are rather blunt. Pages or even words in regulatory code may not tell the whole story. Intuitively, the form a regulation takes is relevant for predicting its impacts.
EPA’s Proposed Rule Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science
In this proposal, EPA aims to strengthen the transparency of the science it considers “pivotal” to its significant regulatory actions.
GDPR: Does it matter on this side of the Atlantic?
GDPR: Does it matter on this side of the Atlantic?
Better Data Collection Would Improve Analysis of NEPA Regulations
Better data collection and reporting are key to analyzing how NEPA implementation has evolved and investigating whether the Act is achieving its goals.
The Trump Administration’s regulatory budget constraint may help improve agency benefit-cost analyses.
Embracing Ossification: Trump and the Shifting Politics of Procedural Controls
Deregulatory efforts by the Trump Administration have shown that procedures have similar effects on both attempts to deregulate and regulate.
OMB's 2017 Draft Report to Congress on the Benefits and Costs of Federal Regulations
Pursuant to the Regulatory Right-to-Know Act, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) submits to Congress each year an accounting statement and associated report
A Brief History of Regulation and Deregulation
Ever since Congress created the first federal regulatory body more than 130 years ago, people have debated the proper role for what has been called the “fourth branch” of government. This essay provides a brief history of regulation and deregulation, reviewing the key milestones that have shaped regulatory practices in the United States from the mid-1900s to the presidency of Donald J. Trump.
