Reinventing Rationality
The Role of Regulatory Analysis in the Federal Bureaucracy

An analysis and critique of regulatory reform in the US federal bureaucratic system.

Thomas O. McGarity (Author)

9780521402569, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 31 May 1991

406 pages
23.8 x 15.9 x 2.8 cm, 0.675 kg

"...an exhaustive and generally well balanced treatment of regulatory analysis. The attention to actual case studies is exemplary....a solid work and a necessary read for those who are interested in understanding the decisionmaking process that is forging the social regulation emanating from the federal government." Bob Williams, Southern Economic Journal

In this book, Professor McGarity reveals the complex and problematic relationship between the 'regulatory reform' movements initiated in the early l970s and the United States' federal bureaucracy. Examining both the theory and application of 'regulatory reform' under the Reagan administration, the author succeeds in offering both a relevant analysis and critique of 'regulatory reform' and its implementation through bureaucratic channels. Using several case studies from the early Reagan years, this book describes the clash of regulatory cultures resulting from the President's attempt to incorporate 'regulatory analysis' into the bureaucratic decision-making process. Yet while McGarity recognizes the limitations of regulatory analysis, he concludes with suggestions for enhancing its effectiveness. This book could be used not only as a textbook for political science and government courses but also for graduate applications in public policy and public administration.

Introduction
Part I. The Clash of Regulatory Cultures: 1. The evolution of the regulatory analysis programme
2. Rational decision-making as regulatory reform
3. Case studies of regulatory analysis in the decision-making process
Part II. The Virtues and Limitations of Analysis: 4. Virtues of regulatory analysis
5. Limitations of regulatory analysis
6. Regulatory analysis in the real world
Part III. Structuring Regulatory Analysis into the Decision-Making Process: 7. Roles for the regulatory analyst
8. The hierarchical model
9. The outside advisor model
10. The team model
11. The adversarial model
12. A hybrid model
13. Selecting the right model
Part IV: Review of Regulatory Analysis: 14. Office of management and budget review of regulatory analysis
15. Judicial review of regulatory analysis
Part V. Conclusions: 16. The appropriate role for analysis in the modern regulatory state.

Subject Areas: Economic theory & philosophy [KCA]