There are two main areas in which Congress can enact meaningful reform. The first is to rein in regulatory guidance documents, which we refer to as “regulatory dark matter,” whereby agencies regulate through Federal Register notices, guidance documents, and other means outside standard rulemaking procedure. The second is to enact a series of reforms to increase agency transparency and accountability of all regulation and guidance. These include annual regulatory report cards for rulemaking agencies and regulatory cost estimates from the Office of Management and Budget for more than just a small subset of rules.
In 2019, President Trump signed two executive orders aimed at stopping the practice of agencies using guidance documents to effectively implement policy without going through the legally required notice and comment process.
Featured Posts
Blog
Biden breaks Federal Register record
Joe Biden’s administration has set a new Federal Register record with 96,088 pages as of December 3, 2024, surpassing the Obama administration’s 95,894 pages in…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Milk marketing and sport fishing
It was a shortened week on account of Thanksgiving. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from fed cattle to general service lamps. On to the data: • Agencies issued 57 final regulations last week,…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Pear handling and airport construction
CEI founder Fred Smith passed away at age 83. Few people were as effective as Fred in pushing back against regulatory excesses, and nobody did it…
Search Posts
Forbes
Americans Celebrate July 4th — But Can They Celebrate Independence?
News reports on Fourth of July polling pointedly distinguish between “proud to be an American” and “proud of America now,” in a way less apparent…
Forbes
What do Scholars Say About the Empirical Relationships Between Regulation and Entrepreneurship?
In the Fraser Institute’s new volume Demographics and Entrepreneurship: Mitigating the Effects of an Aging Population, chapter authors observe that the more red tape and…
Forbes
What Do Scholars Say About The Conceptual Relationship Between Regulation And Entrepreneurship?
We know that “Institutions Matter” when it comes to governance and prosperity. They have to, because the phrase returns over 200,000 Google search results.
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
It was a newsy week, with Justice Kennedy’s retirement announcement, along with some big Supreme Court decisions, including the Janus decision regarding public sector unions;…
Blog
Remarks by CEI President Kent Lassman at 2018 Annual Dinner
Remarks by CEI President Kent Lassman at our Annual Dinner and Reception on June 28, 2018, in Washington, D.C. Welcome to the CEI annual dinner. Thank you all for…
The Wall Street Journal
The Dishwasher Rebellion
The Wall Street Journal cited CEI’s on the dishwasher rebellion. The digital revolution relentlessly enables consumer products to become better, faster and cheaper.
Forbes
Pinpointing The Role Of Economic Liberty In Inspiring Global Entrepreneurship
It is hard to start a business that works. Most people do not attempt it. The reasons are complex, but the World Bank’s Doing Business…
Forbes
Trump’s Executive Branch Restructuring: What If The Federal Government Is Beyond Streamlining?
Can the federal government shrink? Or is the situation like the waistlines that paradoxically parallel the growth of the diet and fitness industry?…
The Washington Examiner
Judge Protects Us from ‘Protection’ Bureau
As the Senate prepares for what should be a contentious confirmation hearing for President Trump’s nominee to head the powerful Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
Summer officially began last week, and federal regulators celebrated with new regulations ranging from almond kernel computing to rough diamonds.
News Release
CEI on The White House Plan to Reform and Reorganize Regulatory Agencies
Today, the White House released its much-anticipated plan for reorganizing federal government agencies. Competitive Enterprise Institute policy experts praised some of the reforms but pointed…
Forbes
What Key Factors Influence Entrepreneurship and Business Growth? Ideas for Researchers
If getting things done requires too many steps, there will be fewer entrepreneurs. That seems to be something of a consensus in the economics and social…
Comment
CEI Comments on the CFPB’s Request for Information Regarding Adopted Regulations and New Rulemaking Authorities
On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), we are pleased to provide the following comments on the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection’s (Bureau or…
Blog
Last Chance for the 115th: Options for Regulatory Reform
With a possible party change in play this November in one or both chambers of Congress, the time might be now or never to pass…
News Release
CEI Urges Senate To Press CFPB Nominee on Stopping Regulatory Abuse
Over the past weekend, President Trump nominated Kathy Kraninger, an associate director at the Office of Management and Budget, to head the Bureau of Consumer…
Blog
Minimum Wage Proposal Divides D.C. Workers, Voters
Washington, D.C. has a $12.50 per hour minimum wage. But for tip-earning workers, such as servers and bartenders, the minimum is $3.33 per hour—tips are…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
Angry allies, North Korea, and Chinese tariffs dominated the news last week. Under the radar, regulatory agencies closed in on their 1,500th new regulation of…
Townhall
Reduce, Freeze or Eliminate CAFE Fuel Standards
Townhall cited Sam Kazman on the contribution to casualty rates stemming from automobile related accidents that CAFÉ rules propagate. Even with side air…
Blog
Good News for Young Lemonade Stand Entrepreneurs
Every summer there are news stories about local authorities shutting down children’s lemonade stands over lack of licenses, permits, a lack of restaurant-grade kitchen or…
Forbes
What the AT&T-Time Warner Merger Decision Means for U.S. Regulation
President Donald Trump's moves to streamline federal regulation and unleash infrastructure have in some ways been unprecedented. But some developments could undermine or swamp the…
Blog
Putting the Net Neutrality Scare Stories to Rest
Today is the first day of the Internet operating under the Federal Communications Commission’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order (RIFO), which was adopted last December but is…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The week’s big headlines were about the G7 meeting and our allies’ efforts to avoid a trade war, and the meeting with north Korea…
The Washington Times
Regulatory Memorial Madness: Every 3 Hours, a New Rule
The Washington Times cited the Competitive Enterprise Institute on the tremendous amounts of rules and regulations unleashed by Congress and federal agencies. Congress…
The Daily Caller
It’s Been One Year Since Trump Promised To Leave The Paris Climate Accord
The Daily Caller cited Myron Ebell on the paradigm shift that has occurred with federal acceptance of affordable energy since the advent of the Trump…
USA Today
Reported Federal Funding For Climate Change Programs Is Incomplete, Says Watchdog
USA Today cited Myron Ebell on the financial benefits that will come because of deregulation by the Trump administration of Obama-era regulations and the benefits…
The Washington Times
Freezing the Paris Climate Accord is a job for the Senate
The Washington Times published an article written by Marlo Lewis reviewing the future of American energy independence and the shackling of the American economy under…
Forbes
Louder Applause + Less Regulation = Greater Entrepreneurship
Unleashing entrepreneurship is a global imperative, evidenced by worldwide governmental passion for classifying and measuring entrepreneurship, such as the World Bank's Doing Businessreport series, and by…
Blog
Here We Go Again: Steel and Aluminum Tariffs and Peter Navarro
A new 25 percent steel tariff and a 10 percent aluminum tariff have come into effect. The levies are aimed at our allies, such as Canada,…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
Despite a four-day workweek, federal agencies still exceeded the previous week’s Federal Register page count by nearly a hundred pages, pushing the yearly total past…
The Washington Post
Trump’s Orders Show Unwavering Attack on Federal Unions, Employees
The Washington Post cited Ian Murray on the sweeping reform occurring throughout the federal government since the Trump administration instituted new procedures through which federal…
Federal Times
Official time use: vital for feds or a waste of time?
Federal Times cited Trey Kovacs on the negative impact which official time imposes on dispute resolution in the bargaining process. Federal employee use of…
The Daily Caller
Facebook And Google Accused Of Violating Europe’s New Law On The First Day
The Daily Caller cited Ryan Radia on the impact of GDPR in enabling favorable market conditions to the dismay of small businesses. “The…
The New York Times
Trump Moves to Ease the Firing of Federal Workers
The New York Times cited Kent Lassman on the conditions which have ensued where workplace equity has increased following changes to federal regulation set in…
News Release
CEI Announces 2018 Annual Dinner Keynote: OMB Director Mick Mulvaney
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) announced that White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney will keynote its 2018 Annual Dinner and Reception on June 28…
Daily Mail
Heightened Debate in US as EU Privacy Rules Take Effect
DailyMail cited Ryan Radia on the market conditions generated by GDPR likely favoring large business to the dismay of start-ups and small firms.
The Hill
‘Right to Try’ Is a Win for Patient Rights and President Trump
The Hill cited the Competitive Enterprise Institute on the overwhelming cost of compliance which taxes the American economy and in this case limits pharmaceutical ingenuity…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
Agencies took it comparatively easy in the leadup to the long Memorial Day weekend, though the FAA and Coats Guard were busy with rules for…
News Release
Trump Executive Orders on Civil Service Reform Are a Huge Win for Taxpayers, Workplace Equity
On news today that President Trump signed three executive orders aimed at making federal workers more accountable and better-performing, Competitive Enterprise Institute experts praised the…
The Wall Street Journal
Trump, the Six Billion Dollar Man*
The Wall Street Journal cited CEI’s Clyde Wayne Crews regarding the Trump administration’s regulatory reform efforts. History shows that when a new President…
The Washington Times
Republicans Giving the Boot to Obama’s Onerous Regulations
The Washington Times cited the Clyde Wayne Crews on the overextension of government regulation and the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s findings of the extreme cost of…
The New York Times
Congress Approves First Big Dodd-Frank Rollback
The New York Times cited CEI’s John Berlau on the limitations of current deregulatory reforms in disassembling the Dodd-Frank Act, which burdens consumers, investors, and…
Op-Eds
Do-er/Thinker Alliances: How Capitalists Can Defend Capitalism
The Fraser Institute of Canada just released a new book called Demographics and Entrepreneurship: Mitigating the Effects of an Aging Population. The book contains a series of 10…
InsideSources
Government Report Breaks Down Taxpayer Funded Union Hours
InsideSources cited Trey Kovacs on the irony and need for getting rid of “official time” where union officials are paid with tax-payer dollars while conducting…
Reason
Congress Just Voted to Repeal a Few Bits of Dodd-Frank
Reason cited John Berlau on the boon to small banks in being able to provide financial relief to Americans that is occuring with deregulation of…
Blog
Trump Maintains a One-In, Five-Out Pace for Rules and Regulations
How many deregulatory actions have been taken so far in the Trump administration? Along with 16 congressional “resolutions of disapproval” of existing Obama-era regulations—another…
Blog
Federal Deregulation Can Exceed What Gets Reported in Unified Agenda
In tracking the Trump administration’s regulatory vs. deregulatory actions, there can be discrepancy between the official Unified Agenda compilation (the tally that’s been around…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
It was a relatively slow week, with 44 proposed regulations and 62 final regulations, though the Supreme Court did rule the federal ban on…
Blog
Fraser Institute Confronts Changing Demographics of Entrepreneurship
As my colleague Christine Hall reported earlier this week, our Canadian think tank friends at the Fraser Institute have a new book out…
Blog
Did You Hear the One about the Entrepreneur?
When putting together a chapter on entrepreneurship and regulation for the Fraser Institute’s new book “Demographics and Entrepreneurship: Mitigating the Effects of an Aging…
The Hill
How Trump Can Build on Regulatory Reform: Borrow From Reagan’s Playbook
The Hill cited the Competitive Enterprise Institute on the cost which federal regulations pass onto consumers. One of the most successful policy achievements…
Staff & Scholars
Clyde Wayne Crews
Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies
- Business and Government
- Consumer Freedom
- Deregulation
Ryan Young
Senior Economist
- Antitrust
- Business and Government
- Regulatory Reform
Fred L. Smith, Jr.
Founder; Chairman Emeritus
- Automobiles and Roads
- Aviation
- Business and Government
Sam Kazman
Counsel Emeritus
- Antitrust
- Automobiles and Roads
- Banking and Finance
Marlo Lewis, Jr.
Senior Fellow
- Climate
- Energy
- Energy and Environment