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Regulation on the Rise

Jonathan H. Adler • October 13, 2009 8:28 am

The Washington Post reports on how the Obama Administration is increasing regulatory efforts on many fronts.  There’s no question Obama appointees are more enthusiastic regulators than their Bush counterparts (with the possible exception of those at Homeland Security), but it would be a mistake to place all the credit/blame for increased regulation on the Obama Administration.  In some cases, as with the CPSIA, Obama appointees are merely implementing regualtory statutes enacted, and signed into law, under President Bush.

Categories: Executive Branch, Regulation    

    9 Comments

    1. Brian Garst says:

      Shh, you’re breaking the “Bush was an actual conservative that deregulated everything, which caused all our problems” narrative.

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      October 13, 2009, 9:50 am

    2. cirby says:

      I’ve gotten emails from friends who are panicking about organic food regulation — seem the Democrats want to start a new agency to run around and inspect all farms, looking over their paperwork and checking for contamination. The theory is that this will kill small farmers of the organic sort, since the Congresscritters are in cahoots with the big chemical and farming conglomerates, and the organic farms won’t be able to pass the tests for some reason or another.

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      October 13, 2009, 9:55 am

    3. Daily Pundit » Dueling Frog Recipes, Nothing Else says:

      [...] The Volokh Conspiracy » Blog Archive » Regulation on the Rise There’s no question Obama appointees are more enthusiastic regulators than their Bush counterparts (with the possible exception of those at Homeland Security), but it would be a mistake to place all the credit/blame for increased regulation on the Obama Administration. In some cases, as with the CPSIA, Obama appointees are merely implementing regualtory statutes enacted, and signed into law, under President Bush. [...]

      October 13, 2009, 10:54 am

    4. LarryA says:

      Remind me, was Bush the Democon or the Republicrat?

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      October 13, 2009, 2:27 pm

    5. David Welker says:

      Mr. Adler:

      Before we talk about “blame” why don’t you explain which of the specific regulatory efforts you support and which you oppose. Or do you think an intellectually vacuous equating of all regulation with bad regulation is sufficient?

      [Where did I equate “all regulation” with “bad regulation”? JHA]

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      October 13, 2009, 2:39 pm

    6. JRL says:

      Prof. Adler,

      Only slightly off-topic, but what is Issue 2 in Ohio all about? I assume it’s a scam of some sort, but I haven’t been able to decipher what it’s about. I’m also told there are similar issues in other states this cycle. What’s going on?

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      October 13, 2009, 3:14 pm

    7. Sandy MacHoots says:

      David Welker: Or do you think an intellectually vacuous equating of all regulation with bad regulation is sufficient? 

      Yes, it’s certainly sufficient. Our current regulatory environment is so bad that we need to prune much of it back before we even think about adding more.

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      October 13, 2009, 6:25 pm

    8. Floridan says:

      S McH: “Our current regulatory environment is so bad that we need to prune much of it back before we even think about adding more.”

      Perhaps, but that sentiment is meaningless without specifying which regulations need to be “pruned back” and which we should keep (or strengthen).

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      October 14, 2009, 9:42 am

    9. Ryan Waxx says:

      Another distinction that needs to be made is weather the laws in question were passed by Congress when it was Democrat-controlled, or when it was Republican-controlled?

      Although I shouldn’t need to remind a poster on this blog that it is Congress that passes laws, the way he doesn’t mention their role at all makes me wonder...

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      October 15, 2009, 8:13 am

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