Regulatory Reform at the State Level: A Guide to Cutting Red Tape for Governors and Executive Branch Officials

Authors

Justin D. Smith

Abstract

This article provides recommendations for governors and other executive branch officials to consider when implementing regulatory reform. Studies have shown that regulatory reform is needed because of the substantial impact on the economy, consumers, and businesses. Recent technological advances have allowed regulations to be quantified by a metric known as regulatory restrictions, which counts uses of “shall,” “must,” “may not,” “prohibited,” and “required.” Quantifying regulatory restrictions allows for comparison of the regulatory scope between states. State-level regulatory reform directed by governors has primarily occurred in three waves following elections in 1994, 2010, and 2016. These reforms have achieved significant results by reducing the number of regulations and saving money that otherwise would have been spent on regulatory compliance.

First Page

276

Recommended Citation

Justin D. Smith, Regulatory Reform at the State Level: A Guide to Cutting Red Tape for Governors and Executive Branch Officials, 3 Bus. Entrepreneurship & Tax L. Rev. 276 (2019).
Available at: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/betr/vol3/iss2/8