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
The week in regulations: Roadless areas and squid quotas
The national debt topped $40 trillion. Vice President JD Vance argued for ending the dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency. The Treasury Department…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Housing abundance and affordability with Luca Gattoni-Celli
In this week’s episode we cover J.D. Vance and the strength of the US dollar, how to track extreme weather events,…
Study
The Protection Paradox
The everyday American expects certain basic services from her government. She expects her roads to be maintained, her mail to be delivered, and her…
Search Posts
The Denver Post
Colorado’s Costly “Demand-Side Management” Bill Makes No Sense
At the end of the legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly had an opportunity to stop a nonsensical electricity program that will cost Xcel Energy…
USA Today
MILLS: Massive Regulation a Drain on Economy, Study Finds
USA Today covers Ten Thousand Commandments. Regulations are a burden on consumers, businesses, and the economy, according to a new study by the…
The Hill
Trump May Restrict Length of Environmental Reviews Under Infrastructure Plan
The Hill covers Trasportation Secretary Elaine Chao’s remarks at CEI’s Annual Dinner and Reception. The Trump administration may enforce restrictions on the length…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The majority of new regulations coming out are still of the routine procedural variety—Coast Guard safety zones for fireworks shows, Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness directives…
Inside Sources
Point: Net Neutrality Bad for Consumers
The FCC’s proposed rollback of its 2015 Open Internet Order has put the term “net neutrality” back in the political zeitgeist. The phrase itself is…
Blog
Cooking Up Fewer Regulations: Trump’s Significant Proposed Rules Down Over 70 Percent Compared To Obama
Whether looking at predecessors’ first or final years, Trump is so far the least regulatory president of all.
Staff & Scholars
Clyde Wayne Crews
Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies
- Business and Government
- Consumer Freedom
- Deregulation
Ryan Young
Senior Economist and Director of Publications
- 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
