NCJ Number
84277
Date Published
1981
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Following a discussion of the scope of government regulation and the use of regulation and social policy objectives, the operations of the various Federal regulatory agencies are outlined, and the regulatory and staff management and decisionmaking processes are described.
Abstract
The Congressional Budget Office's definition of government regulation includes those activities which (1) affect the operating business environment of broad sectors of private enterprise; (2) affect specific commodities, products, or services through permit, certification, or licensing requirements; and (3) involve the development, administration, and enforcement of national standards, violations of which could result in civil or criminal penalties. The decision to use regulation instead of the taxing and spending powers of the Federal Government to achieve some objectives is a matter of political choice. The regulation, however, can and must be analyzed for its usefulness as a policy tool. An issue frequently raised in the organizational evaluation of regulatory agencies is the effective use and control of staff resources. A number of Government reports have addressed this issue throughout the history of regulation. A total of 26 Federal regulatory agencies are listed and their activities briefly described, and the work performed by the General Accounting Office on Federal regulatory activities is illustrated. Nine references are listed.