Teacher: Barbara Downey
By Kayti Fuhr
12th grade
Government regulation affects every American, whether we like it or not. It controls our every day life from what we eat and do for fun, to how we run our businesses and use our own property. Government regulation, no matter how irritating it can be, is definitely needed. Regulation is needed to ensure the well being of our society. Even some of the most tedious regulations are there for a reason. There are many experts whose only job is to review possible regulations and see if harm could result from it years down the road. So the next time you think that a regulation is unnecessary, stop and think about how it might help out in the future and not just how it is such a bother at the moment. Our society today is so focused on the “quick fix” that we do not realize the harm we are doing for our future generations. Even worse is when we do realize the harm we are causing, but ignore it because we do not want to burden ourselves. Even though there are some problems with our regulation system, I still fully believe there is just the right amount of regulation in our society today.
Even though I said there is the right amount of regulation, that does not mean that I think it is all in the right place. Many regulations are poorly designed and needlessly expensive. Our regulation system needs to go through some major reformation to shift it from a lot of ineffective regulation to more focused and efficient regulation.
Three very legitimate regulatory issues include gun control, airline security, and the levels of arsenic in drinking water. These are very important for maintaining our high standard of living and safety. These issues have reasonable amounts of regulation, but are not strongly enforced.
Some government regulation could be put to better use. Ancient ordinances outlawing rollerblading and skateboarding are a couple of such regulations without any real purpose. The excessive regulation on buildings causes a need for a ridiculous amount of permits just to tear down an old garage. To allow for less time and money being spent, this statute could definitely be reformed.
“Who should decide what is unnecessary or over-regulated?” This is a question that many ask. There is no easy answer. The best one that I can come up with is a committee, a committee with members who are not a part of any political party or lobby group. The members should be nominated by the mayors of each city and elected by the people. When they are asked to make a decision on over-regulation, they will call a meeting where anyone can attend. People on both sides of the issue will present their half of the story, including the costs and consequences of having this regulation and not having it. Then when both sides have completed their arguments, a majority vote by the committee will decide the matter.
When I mentioned the costs and consequences of having a certain regulation I was not just meaning the direct costs of regulation that are budgeted for administration and enforcement. There are many other costs besides these and most do not even have a dollar amount. The most prominent indirect cost of government regulation comes in the form of lawsuits. For every person that a regulation helps there are many more who may claim it is harmful to him or her; as a result, they sue. What happens if money is budgeted for a five-year project, but then it actually takes eight years to complete? Where does that money for the extra three years come from? How about loss of freedom, cost of materials, interest, cost increases, and wasted time? These are all major costs that most overlook.
Regulation is one of the toughest issues to figure out. Many politicians like it because it is one of the most politically convenient ways to carry out public policy. It generally does not require much government spending or direct taxation. On the other hand, the majority of citizens find many regulations to be unnecessary nuisances. If only a middle ground could be met between the two. Until that middle ground is met, the government is going to continue to play a big role in regulation, and from the look of our country, that must not be such a bad thing.
Q1What is the only way to prevent hijackers from gaining control of an airplane according to the unknown author?
The author claims that the only way to prevent hijackings is to make it impossible to penetrate the cockpit without the use of explosives, which are easily screened. The author also believes that some aircraft redesigning (secure walls and doors, a mini-lavatory for the crew, and a slot to get food in and out) will be required so that no one will go into or out of the cockpit during a flight.
Q2What are the arguments given by lobbyists for the Bells in favor of HR 1542 and the arguments given by their opponents against this legislation?
The United States Telecom Association, which is the primary lobbying group for the bells, argues that its members need relief from the heavy regulation in order to compete with cable television companies and other high-speed Internet providers. Opponents of the bill, which include long-distance carriers such as AT&T Corp., claim that it would give the Bells control of the high-speed Internet service and would delay development of next-generation Web technology.
Q3Why 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?
They like it because it protects companies that do not significantly harm the environment from being sued by larger companies that want to recover some of their government ordered cleanup costs. I think this legislation has its good points and bad ones. It protects the smaller companies from being bullied around, but also in a way rewards them for only polluting a little bit. But if every company in the world only polluted a little bit, it would still add up to a lot of pollution.
Q4Give an argument in favor of government regulation activities such as rollerblading and bungee jumping
When the government regulates activities such as rollerblading and bungee jumping it is just doing its job of protecting people. Protecting innocent people from nuisances and thrill-providers who don’t take proper safety precautions and also protecting the fun-seekers from themselves. Another reason why regulation is needed for bungee jumping is because it is very dangerous, so the government has to make sure that all bungee jumping companies meet the necessary requirements so that no one ends up diving face first into the concrete.
Q5Define a “burden hour.”
A burden hour supposedly measures the time it takes to collect data and fill out federal forms, reports, and surveys.
Q6Why 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?
Lieberman was worried that Graham’s past criticisms of clean-water and clean-air statutes would also cause him to weaken federal health, safety, and environmental standards.
Q6aGraham is proponent of “risk analysis.” How is risk analysis defined on page 992 of the May 5, 2001 issue of Congressional Quarterly Weekly?
Risk analysis calculates the likelihood of a hazard against the costs and benefits of preventing it.
Q6bWho was the first president to order federal agencies to weigh potential costs and benefits when writing a rule?
Jimmy Carter was the first president to order federal agencies to weigh potential costs and benefits when writing a rule and every one after him has done the same thing.
Q6cHow 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 2000 CQ Almanac? What the response of OSHA and Labor Department officials?
Business groups claim it would run up their cost of compliance between 14 billion and 80 billion dollars a year and would wrongly cut onto business profitability and productivity. However, the Labor Department officials and OSHA claim that the rule is intended to be flexible and would not require most companies to act. Even though they estimate it would cost the employers 4.2 billion dollars annually, they also claim it would save them 9 billion dollars a year in lost productivity.
Q7What 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?
It was made up of an unbreakable alliance among Democratic committee chairmen, agency officials and interest groups that worked in concert to achieve common goals. Environmentalists and consumer advocates fear the formation of a new triangle, composed of the White House, industry officials, and GOP committee chairmen, which leaves them high and dry.
Q8Name 5 actions of the Bush administration that have drawn criticism from Environmentalists.
Bush has already signed legislation to kill a Clinton ergonomics rule opposed by many major business groups, he has also signaled intentions to revise Clinton regulations, including one to toughen cleanup standards for hard rock mining operations. He has also drawn criticism by reneging on a campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide and by rejecting the Kyoto Protocol on global warming. His most controversial move, however, was reversing a Clinton rule to reduce the levels of arsenic in drinking water.
Q9What 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?
It required agencies to prove that a regulation’s benefits would outweigh its costs. The democratic house of 1986 countered Reagan’s move by deleting funds for OMB’s regulatory division from the fiscal 1987 budget.
Q10On the average, how long does it take to build an airport? A highway?
The average time to build an airport is about 15 years and for a highway is about 12 years.
Q11Discuss the pros and cons of licensing requirements.
Licensing requirements are definitely needed to control unqualified people from starting businesses and ripping people off. However, a fifteen-year-old’s business of washing and braiding her friends’ hair should not be shut down. There needs to be a line drawn somewhere that prevents this. Soon the licensing board is going to go running around closing down little children’s lemonade stands because the children aren’t licensed chefs. Licensing requirements obviously have their ups and downs but I think a middle ground needs to be met at soon.
Q12Discuss the pros and cons of master plans and planning departments.
Planning departments and master plans are helpful because they are designed to look ahead and prevent damage. They keep the business of government moving forward efficiently and effectively. The problem with them is that communities have given them too much power in the recent years. Sometimes it gets to the point when unqualified groups are making decisions on projects that they don’t even know that much about.