THE GOVERNMENT BACK IN BUSINESS: REVENGE OF THE REGULATORS?
AUGUST 16-18, 2015

Regulation is back in vogue. From network neutrality to big data and the internet of things, an increasingly prevalent tendency is to look to Congress or regulatory agencies for solutions to real or perceived problems. Today, policymakers favor pre-emptive interventions, consistent with the “precautionary principle” of regulation, which holds that it is better to prevent problems before they happen but eschew cost-benefit analysis when creating rules. What accounts for the newfound infatuation with the regulatory state? Are we ignoring lessons from academic research regarding regulation? How will today’s policies affect innovation in technology-creating and technology-using industries? Discussion panels and speakers at the 2015 TPI Aspen Forum focused on this new-found confidence in the regulatory state and its possible consequences.