Sunstein Nomination

Looks like my colleague Iain Murry and I concur on President-elect Barak Obama’s selection of Cass Sunstein to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Sunstein may be the best choice we could have expected from an administration that pro-regulatory environmental activists seem to believe is a Superhero. In fact, Sunstein is a reasonably good choice for any administration because he has a solid understanding of science and risk management, which is critical for a leader of OIRA.

I did offer a critical review of his book, Risk and Reason for his over emphasis on the need to “expert regulators” to manage society’s ills. Frankly, I don’t trust bureaucratic management of any kind, even if done by experts. But it is to some extent the reality of much of Washington policy today. So while I disagree on that underlying philosophy, I suspect that Sunstein he will offer an even-handed, balanced, and thoughtful approach on many issues. I highly doubt he prove to be the radical activist that the greens would have desired.