regulatory reform

• Dan Farber
• October 25, 2012

The Illegality of a Regulatory Cap

A key part of Romney’s attack on “over-regulation” is his proposed regulatory cap.  If an agency wanted to issue a new regulation, a cap would require an agency to repeal a regulation (or package of regulations) with equal cost. To make this work, Romney would need new legislation from Congress, not just an executive order.  …

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• Dan Farber
• October 10, 2012

Romney’s Embrace of the House Republicans’ Anti-Environmental Agenda

A lot of Romney’s views about energy and regulation seem familiar.  There’s a reason for that.  Driven by the Tea Party, the House has passed numerous deregulatory laws, some of them multiple times. On average, the House Republicans averaged more than one anti-environmental vote for every day the House was in session in 2011. Romney …

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• Dan Farber
• September 21, 2012

Five Ideas for Regulatory Reformers

Duke is hosting a conference on Monday (10-4 ET) about conservative approaches to environmental protection.  (livestream here).  Here are a few ideas to throw into the mix:

• Dan Farber
• September 18, 2012

How Worried Are Small Businesses About Environmental Regulation?

We’re heard a lot recently about the supposedly dire effect of environmental regulations on small businesses. A recent poll of small business owners by George Washington University using the Thumbtack site has some interesting findings about this. One of the questions in the survey was, “How important are the following issues to the success of …

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• Dan Farber
• September 4, 2012

Party Differences on Energy and Environment: A Side-by-Side Comparison

After I posted a description of the Republican platform, a reader suggested that a side-by-side comparison would be helpful when the Democratic Platform came out.  Here it is, presented as objectively as I could. Subject Democratic Platform Republican Platform Regulatory reform Give president power to reorganize agencies.   Congressional approval required for all major rules. …

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• Dan Farber
• August 28, 2012

The GOP Platform & the Environment

With some effort, I was able to find full text of the platform. Not surprisingly, the basic thrust is to relax limits on industry.   The energy provisions correspond to Romney’s recent proclamations — more drilling in more places, less regulation of coal, etc.  On the environment, the basic message is that current regulations are …

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• Dan Farber
• January 3, 2012

Why Critics Should Stop Bashing EPA (And What They Should Talk About Instead)

Bashing EPA is apparently a good political tactic, at least if you’re in a red state, but it’s also a smokescreen — what is presented as an attack on the agency is actually an attack on the mission assigned by Congress. In terms of carrying out the mission, EPA is no different than the Defense …

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