Pursuing regulatory excellence: Brexit, Trump, and beyond

Regulation today evokes much controversy and discontent. In the UK, Brexit signaled a major public backlash against regulations imposed by the European Union. In the United States, Donald Trump won the presidency having vowed to eliminate as many as 70 percent of federal regulations. Given the intense focus on the quality and legitimacy of government regulation around the world, how can those entrusted to devise and implement regulations best achieve success? How can they balance the goals of improving health, safety, financial protection, and economic well-being through government oversight without imposing excessive costs on consumers and businesses and without impeding innovation and economic growth?

On February 16, the Center on Regulation and Markets at Brookings partnered with the University of Pennsylvania Law School’s Penn Program on Regulation to host the launch of the new Brookings Institution Press book, “Achieving Regulatory Excellence,” which offers guidance from experts around the world for how regulators in all fields of policy can succeed in today’s demanding environment. The event featured the book’s editor, Cary Coglianese, the director of the Penn Program on Regulation and the Edward B. Shils Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania, and other leading experts who contributed to the book. Brookings Vice President and Director of Economic Studies Ted Gayer, himself a contributor to the book, offered welcoming remarks.