Primer on Regulation

* Please see the updated 2012 Primer on Regulation here.

Part of the Mercatus Policy Series, the "Primer on Regulation" provides an overview of regulation, from theoretical issues of why we see regulation where we do, to analytical questions of how to write a good regulation. It examines the constitutional underpinnings of regulation and discusses who writes and enforces regulation and how they do it. It also provides insights into the different varieties of regulation, and how to analyze whether a regulatory proposal is likely to make citizens better or worse off.

Table of Contents

1. What is regulation?
2. Theories of Regulation: Why do we regulate?
3. Regulation and the Constitution: What would our Founders say?
4. The Regulatory Process: Who is behind the curtain?
5. Economic Regulation: Price, entry, and exit
6. Social Regulation: Health, safety, and environment
7. Regulatory Analysis
8. The Future of Regulation