Teacher: Barbara Downey
Rockridge High School
Taylor
Ridge, Illinois
Teacher: Barbara Downey
Government as a Regulator
Tyson Danner
Grade 12
1. Why do you think government regulation is needed?
Government regulation is a very important part of our modern society. The government keeps many aspects of our world under control. For example, what would law enforcement be without government regulation? Officers would have no limits on what they could and could not do. While many officers would remain fair and moral, there are people who would certainly take advantage of their power. In addition, all types of commercial companies would have no restrictions. The average consumer would fall victim to intense marketing tactics, price gouging, and monopolies that would otherwise be outlawed. There would be no limit to the activities of major companies. I certainly would not want to live in a country without government regulation.
2. Give at least 3 examples of legitimate regulation and 3 examples of unnecessary
regulation.
Regulations that prohibit businesses from becoming monopolies are also important. Most important are those regulations that directly protect citizens, such as those now in force at airports. Pollution regulations are discussed in my essay.
Unfortunately, government regulations can have negative effects. Licensing requirements can hold entrepreneurs back if they do not have the time or money to acquire a license. Master plans and planning departments use up time and money. Also, bans on what should be personal freedoms, such as rollerblading, skateboarding, and other forms of entertainment are unnecessary.
3. What costs are attached to government regulations other than dollars budgeted for administration and enforcement?
There are many unforseen costs that affect government regulations. These can include lawsuits, time, unexpected delays which increase cost, materials, energy, and the loss of public freedom.
4. Who should decide what constitutes over-regulation? How should the decision be made?
I believe that the people should be allowed to decide what constitutes over-regulation. The average person would be most affected by these regulations, and therefore should be allowed to participate in the decision making. People could write to a particular government office created for this purpose to suggest regulations to be put up for a vote. Then, citizens would vote on whether the suggested regulations should remain in place or be reformed to better suit the public. A committee would then review those regulations that are voted to be reformed. The committee could either be a group of appointed individuals or politicians placed there by general election. After the committee edits them, the new regulations would then be enforced. This is a yearly or bi-yearly cycle that would constantly be changing and improving for the better of the American public.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
controlled. For example, when people are children, their parents take care of
them. If they do something wrong, they are usually punished and learn from their actions. Unfortunately, as adults, people are not watched over this carefully. They do mostly just what they please and rarely feel the consequences. One may say that adults are mature enough to govern their own actions and, while this may be true for most adults, there are many in this world who have no more self-control or common sense than children. For this reason, our world needs more government regulation.
We must acknowledge that regulations have done a great deal to reduce pollution.
The government now monitors the pollution created by companies. There are also government regulations on pollution produced by vehicles, power plants, and other sources of pollution. Unfortunately, the regulations restricting pollution by all sources are not nearly strong enough. Pollution is a very dangerous thing, and if it is not more strictly controlled, we will be facing very grave problems with our environment. More government regulations concerning pollution will produce a happier, healthier world for us all.
While crime is kept under control by government agencies, it remains a constant
part of modern life. More government regulations in this area are badly needed. The only thing that instills foresight into many people is fear. What if they are caught? What if they have to pay a fine or, worse yet, go to jail? These fears restrain many people from doing what they otherwise might have done. When there is no fear for the consequences brought on by these actions, there is no second thought. Laws are not meant simply to punish wrongdoers. They are also meant to prevent people from committing crimes. If we want our laws to be effective, they must instill fear into criminals. The vast majority of our laws today are merely a slap on the hand. If law enforcement were stricter and punishments were worse, there would be a great decrease in crime. Our reward for the actions we take to decrease crime would be a safe world for all.
Before September of last year, most Americans thought that our government was doing a fair job of keeping our airlines safe and secure for travelers. On the eleventh of that month, those Americans realized what a misconception that was. Regulations have kept airlines safe in the past, but now we face new threats. The United States is not accustomed to modern warfare. Never before have our own airlines been a military target. With a group as powerful as the Taliban targeting our airlines, the regulations controlling airline security must be revised and strengthened to keep up with modern threats. For example, tighter security at airports will prevent weapons, explosives, and other dangerous items from even entering an airplane. In addition, aircraft construction regulations will make the airplanes themselves safer. Once again, regulations will serve to make a safer world.
Substance abuse is one of the most tragic causes of trauma and death in our modern world. Although there are laws against these substances, millions remain involved in their illegal purchase, selling, and shipment. These laws do not do enough to control these substances. While some drugs are banned completely, some are readily available. Any person who is twenty-one years old or older, for example, can buy alcohol. Too great a number of these adults then give the alcohol to minors. It is simply too easy for minors to obtain alcohol. Alcohol is as dangerous a drug as cocaine or heroin, yet any person can acquire it in a very short amount of time. Stronger regulations will bring about an enormous decline in all manners of accidents involving all types of substance abuse.
These are only a few reasons why this country needs more government regulation. It is quite clear that regulation has helped us a great deal up to this point and will continue to help us in the future. Can we have too much of a good thing? Possibly, but this country has a long way to go before there is an excess of regulation.
Questions 1-12:
1. What is the only way to prevent hijackers from gaining control of an airplane according to the unknown author?
The author believes that the only way to make airplanes perfectly safe is to “harden the cockpit.” That is, to completely seal off the cockpit from the rest of the plane. That way there is no way for hijackers to gain control.
2. 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?
The lobbyists for the Bells argue that their members need “regulatory relief” to be able to compete with cable television companies and other high-speed internet providers. Their opponents claim that the bill would give the Bells a sort of monopoly on high-speed Internet services. This, they say, would delay development of new technology.
3. 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?
Small businesses like this bill because it protects them from being sued by larger companies. I think it is a good idea because the large companies should not be allowed to bully the smaller companies out of money to make up for the expenses the have to pay.
4. Give an argument in favor of government regulating activities such as rollerblading and bungee-jumping.
As with other regulations, the government seeks to protect people. These activities are very dangerous and should be regulated for the good of the public.
5. Define a “burden hour.”
A “burden hour” measures the time it takes to do paperwork such as collecting data and filling out forms, surveys, and reports.
6. 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?
Senator Lieberman was worried that Graham would “weaken federal health, environmental, and safety standards.”
6a. 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?
Risk analysis weighs the likelihood of a hazard against the benefits and
costs of preventing the hazard.
6b. Who 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 costs against
benefits when writing a rule/
6c. How much would compliance with OSHA’s regulation 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?
The regulation is estimated to cost from $14 billion to $80 billion a year. OSHA and
Labor Department officials say the rule is meant to be flexible and that it would not
Require most companies to act. They say that the rule would cost employers $4.2
billion annually, but would also save them $9 billion annually.
7. 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?
The iron triangle was made up of Democratic committee chairmen, agency officials, and interest groups. Environmentalists and consumer activists now envision the modern iron triangle as including industry officials, the White House, and GOP committee chairmen.
8. Name 5 actions of the Bush administration that have drawn criticism from
Environmentalists.
Environmentalists were concerned when Bush went back on a campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide and rejected the Kyoto Protocol on global warming. Also, Bush reversed a rule made by Bill Clinton that lowered the levels of arsenic in drinking water. The White House is also considering settlements in lawsuits that intend to reverse Clinton rules, including rules that phase out the use of snowmobiles in national parks and the reintroduction of grizzly bears in Idaho and Montana.
9. 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?
Reagan’s executive order required that agencies prove that a regulation’s “benefits would outweigh its costs.” In 1986, the Democratic House deleted funds for OMB’s regulatory division for the 1987 budget. The money was restored after the regulatory affairs office agreed to make the rule-making process more “transparent.”
10. On the average, how long does it take to build an airport? A highway?
Don Young, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman, says, “the average time for an airport is fifteen years.” A highway, according to Young, takes twelve years to build.
11. Discuss the pros and cons of licensing requirements.
Licensing requirements make people take the time and effort to acquire a license. They improve the quality of work because the workers must take the time to learn about the activity they wish to pursue. Unfortunately, some people do not have the time or money to acquire a license. Without licensing requirements, these people can not make the money they need.
12. Discuss the pros and cons of master plans and planning departments.
While master plans and planning departments improve people’s surroundings, they also take up valuable time and energy.