Improving Regulatory Impact Analysis Through Process Reform: Testimony Before the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee

7 Pages Posted: 24 Aug 2014

See all articles by Jerry Ellig

Jerry Ellig

George Washington University - Regulatory Studies Center (deceased)

Date Written: June 26, 2013

Abstract

Scholarly research demonstrates that Regulatory Impact Analysis often falls short of the standards articulated in executive orders and Office of Management and Budget guidance. More often than not, agencies do not appear to use the Regulatory Impact Analysis to inform major decisions. Regulatory Impact Analyses often seem to be advocacy documents written to justify decisions that were already made, rather than information that helped regulators figure out what to do. Further improvement in the quality and use of Regulatory Impact Analysis will likely occur only as a result of legislative reform of the regulatory process. To achieve improvement, all agencies should be required to conduct thorough and objective Regulatory Impact Analysis for major regulations and to explain how the results of the analysis informed their decisions.

Keywords: regulation, regulatory impact analysis, cost-benefit andlysis, benefit-cost analysis, regulatory reform

JEL Classification: D61, D73, D78, H11, H83, K23, L51, P16

Suggested Citation

Ellig, Jerry, Improving Regulatory Impact Analysis Through Process Reform: Testimony Before the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (June 26, 2013). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2485553 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2485553

Jerry Ellig (Contact Author)

George Washington University - Regulatory Studies Center (deceased) ( email )

805 21st St. NW
Washington, DC 20052
United States
703-375-9410 (Phone)

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