In many jurisdictions around the world, a primary way that scientific and technical knowledge and expertise can influence society is through government regulation. Government agencies regularly conduct technical analyses of proposed regulations, which can influence whether and how a regulation is implemented. In the United States, the Biden administration recently proposed some of the most dramatic attempts to modernize US federal regulatory analysis in decades. These reforms, which are broadly consistent with the president’s objectives of promoting equity and addressing climate change, could substantially change how regulatory oversight is performed at the federal level and how benefits and costs are calculated. Although mostly in draft form [and open for public comments (1)], these reforms, if implemented, could have lasting effects on how regulation affects economic growth, on the winners and losers from regulatory activity, and on how the United States and other countries respond to long-term challenges—notably, climate change.
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Full cite: SCIENCE, Jun 1 2023, Vol 380, Issue 6648, pp. 899-901.
