Kadoka High School

Kadoka, South Dakota

Teacher:  Teresa Shuck

Government As Regulator

By:  Donelle Stout

11^th grade

Government regulation, does our world today need more or less in the society around us?  Should we higher all the regulation standards to be equal with the fast growing economy, or would it be better if the amount of government regulation was reduced so that the world could operate more freely?  This is a strong issue in the eyes of many citizens today; they are worried about where this could go in the world to come.  So to keep things under control in this quickly growing world we have, the government should use more regulation.

            The government’s role as a regulator is to set guidelines for people living and working in the world today.  If their was no regulation put on any situation in the world today by the government, larger companies would have the ability to take over many small companies and begin a monopoly; or make it much easier for terrorists to have access onto planes, into buildings, or any place where they would like to perform a destruction of some sort towards the United States.  The government needs to be there in situations like these to put some regulation on companies so that events like these do not occur.

            The reason that more government regulation is needed is to help people like me feel more comfortable living in the United States. The events of September 11 have made people afraid to fly on any type of aircraft.  Here is a good situation where the government should step in use some regulation to make flying a much safer task.  For example, they could make the pilots more secure in the aircraft so that nobody can get to them, or maybe tighten the security levels at all airports.  Some people have begun to believe that private aircraft schools should be shut down for the reason of unqualified pilots out flying the aircrafts.  The government has started to take many actions toward the September 11 occurrence, but they should keep taking them until they know that our country is totally safe.

            Another example of legitimate regulation is in education.  The government can and does step in to a lot of schools to help out with funding and curriculum.  There are some schools in the United States that would get along just fine without any guidelines from the government of their state.  On the other hand though, there are all the small town schools that need the help.  Without the government coming in and setting the required classes, some students may not take the courses that they will need for the basic everyday life in their future.  For example, English class is a necessity to all students because if you ever want to go out and get a job, even right of high school, proper grammar is essential.  And to make it all possible for schools to work by the strict curriculum that is given to them, government funding is needed.  To keep the classrooms up to date technology wise and education wise, they will need help with funding.  And with the government providing money, as long as the schools are proceeding in a positive way, schools can be a great place with a little government regulation.

            One other important place that the government has stepped in and taken action by regulating control is with toxic waste control.  This is one that needs to be watched up on very closely.  We do not need this area getting lax attention because they think that it is taken care of just fine.  It is such an important topic; many people try to get away with an easy way of dumping their wastes.  Even though they know that it is bad for the surrounding environment.  The government should have random surprise inspections to check the lines and where the wastes are ending up.  If anyone gets lazy on the subject innocent people could be at stake here.  The wastes could affect the water in the area of even the air around us if we are not careful.  This would be a very harmful situation if the government does not watch it very carefully and keep the regulations up to date.

            There are a few examples, although, where the government has stepped in and taken over some very minor details that are unnecessary.  For example, by banning skateboarders, bungee-jumpers, whitewater rafters, and rock-climbers are all being cracked down upon because they are not exactly how the government wants them to be.  Another example of unnecessary regulation would be part of the cattle program.  Ranchers are required to keep their cattle in certain pasture areas for only a certain amount of time.  Well most ranchers have a pretty good idea of how much grass is available at the time in that certain area, they should not need to be told when their cattle have to be moved and where too. Ranchers have been in the business a long time and know a lot more about their own cattle then some government official usually knows.  And also they keep teens and young adults from starting their own businesses.  These areas are where the government has too much regulation.

            Many costs are attached to government regulation.  To keep all the businesses under correct regulation it takes a nice chunk of the country’s money supply.  But for the most part, the cost is worth it.  Regulation is needed in the world today; and with the new advances coming into this world, more regulations is needed.  So money is going to have to be set aside for government regulation costs.

            When deciding where government regulation is needed, Congress should be in charge of it and make a two-thirds majority vote before the law of regulation passes.  This way no certain person can control what laws pass and what laws do not pass.   The two-thirds majority vote is needed so that one person who believes strongly in one situation cannot use government regulation in areas that do not necessarily need it. 

            United States citizens in the world today feel strongly about their society and how it is run, now more than ever since the events of September 11.  Government action needs to take place in all these areas around us to ensure people’s safety and the best lives for them. The government needs to keep a close eye on school’s, private and public businesses, and smaller portions of management corporations.  When doing this, our world will become the best it can be for both the people and the country itself.  What do you think would happen if our country lessened the amount of regulation taking place right now?

Donelle’s Questions:

Q1.   What is the only way to prevent hijackers from gaining control of an airplane according to the unknown author?

            Answer:  The only way to prevent hijackers from gaining control of an airplane according to the unknown author is to harden the cockpit.  Now way to get in short of explosives and nobody goes in or out during a flight.  Some aircraft re-design will be required and it will cost, but it will be less than the cost of not doing it.

Q2.      What are the arguments given by lobbyists for the Bells in favor of HR 1542 (Tauzin-Dingell Bill) and arguments given by their opponents against this legislation?
CQ May 5 p 1012

Answer:  The arguments given by lobbyists for the Bells in favor of Hr 1542 (Tauzin-Dingell Bill) are that it would speed deployment of broadband services and help jump-start the information technology sector, and it argues that its members need regulatory relief to compete with cable television companies and other high-speed Internet providers.  Some argued against this legislation because they contend that the Tauzin-Dingell Bill would give the Bells a stranglehold on high-speed Internet service and delay the development of next-generation Web technology.

Q3.      Why do small-business groups like HR 1831? From the small amount of information presented in your required reading, do you think the legislation is a good idea? Why?
CQ May 19 p. 1161

Answer:  Small-business groups like HR 1831 because this bill would protect businesses that discard less than 110 gallons of liquid waste or less than 200 pounds of solid, non-hazardous waste at a superfund site.  It would also apply to small businesses that dump ordinary garbage in a landfill that later is designated a superfund site.  This law has been the nation’s main tool for cleaning up toxic waste sites since 1980.

Q4.      Give an argument in favor of government regulating activities such as roller blading and bungee jumping.
Governing, March 1993 p 23

Answer:  An argument in favor of government regulating activities such as roller blading and bungee-jumping is that the government is just doing its job, protecting people from public nuisances and unscrupulous thrill-providers who don’t take proper safety precautions.

Q5.      Define a “burden hour.”
CQ ‘April 28 p. 896

Answer:  A burden hour is supposed to measure the time it takes to collect data and fill out federal forms, surveys, and reports.

Q6.      Why was Connecticut Senator, Joseph Lieberman, concerned enough to vote against the nomination of Professor John Graham as administrator of the office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the current Bush administration?
CQ May 26 p 1229

Answer:  Lieberman cited Graham’s past criticisms of clean-air and clean-water statutes and questioned whether he would weaken federal health, environmental and safety standards.

Q6a.    Graham is a proponent of “risk analysis.”  How is risk analysis defined on page 992 of the May 5, 2001 issue of Congressional Quarterly Weekly?

Answer:  Risk analysis is defined as what calculates the likelihood of a hazard against the costs and benefits of preventing it.

Q6b.    Who was the first president to order federal agencies to weigh potential costs and benefits when writing a rule?
CQ May5 2001 p 993

Answer:  The first president to order federal agencies to weigh potential costs and benefits when writing a rule was President Bush.

Q6.      How much would compliance with OSHA’s regulations to limit injuries or disabilities from performing repetitive tasks cost according to an estimate by business groups as reported in the 2000 CQ Almanac?   What was the response of OSHA and Labor Department officials? 
CQAlmanac p 2-111

Answer:  With OSHA’s regulations to limit injuries or disabilities from performing repetitive tasks it would range in cost from $14 billion to $80 billion a year according to businesses.  OSHA’s and Labor Department officials say it will range in cost from $4.2 billion annually and the rule would also save them $9 billion a year in lost productivity.

Q7.      What was the makeup of the “iron triangle” during the Reagan years and what do environmentalists and consumer activists foresee as its composition in the current Bush administration?
CQ May 5 p 990

Answer:  The makeup of the “iron triangle” during the Reagan years was an unbreakable alliance among Democratic committee chairmen, agency officials and interest groups that worked in concert to achieve common goals, whether it was funding for special projects or protecting specific constituencies.  Environmentalists and consumer activists say they fear the formation of a new triad-composed of industry officials, the White House and GOP committee chairmen-that leaves them out of the equation.

Q8.      Name 5 actions of the Bush administration that have drawn criticism from Environmentalists.
CQ May 5, 2001  p. 994 and 995

Answer:  Five actions of the Bush administration that have drawn criticism from Environmentalists are that Bush signed the legislation to kill a Clinton ergonomics rule opposed by many major business groups, reversed the Clinton rule to reduce levels of arsenic permitted and drinking water, and also deciding to uphold Clinton rules restricting wetlands development and lowering the levels at which factories must report lead emissions.

Q9.      What did the executive order issued by Ronald Reagan in 1981 and still in effect today, require agencies to prove before new regulations were enacted? How did the Democratic House counter in 1986?
CQ May 5, 2001  p. 995

Answer:  This order required agencies to prove that a regulation’s benefits would “outweigh” its costs.  In 1986, the Democratic-controlled House forced a showdown by deleting funds for OMB’s regulatory division from the fiscal 1987 budget.

Q10.    On the average, how long does it take to build an airport?  A highway?
CQ May 19, 2001 p 1163

Answer:  The average time for a highway to be built is 12 years and the average time for an airport is 15 years.

Q11.    Discuss the pros and cons of licensing requirements.
Wall Street Journal June 18, 1993

Answer:  This prohibits young people from earning any kind of profit from a talent or small business that they are capable of starting.  Many people just want to better themselves but are shut down by the government for not having the proper license.  Also though it keeps grown people from starting a illegal business of some sort such as performing tasks without being certified.

Q12.    Discuss the pros and cons of master plans and planning departments.
Taking A Stand On Regulation  pp 80-82

Answer:  Planning departments can be given too much power and rules regulating the protection of the environment must not be subverted into an instrument for the oppression and delay of social, economic or recreational development and advancement.  But then with these planning departments one branch may overrule another, and many people believe planning is an improvement over a free market.

Back