This paper discusses a new form of regulation. Rather than issuing rules, some government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, have started to file lawsuits. With this approach, agencies can avoid congressional safeguards designed to rein in overly zealous regulators. They may also win acclaim for high-profile settlements, regardless of whether the regulatory objective is achieved.
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Andrew P. Morriss is a PERC senior fellow and professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service and the School of Law at Texas A&M University.
This special issue of PERC Reports explores creative ideas to address the conservation challenges of the Pacific Northwest.
It’s been more than a century since sea otters called the coasts of Oregon and Northern California home. Can they be brought back to the region without alienating fishermen?
Can cultivating a taste for purple sea urchin help restore America's underwater forests?