Modern Regulation

Government regulation is an important part of society. Rights and responsibilities protect citizens and companies and are essential to well-functioning markets. In times of enormous debt and declining revenues, however, there is increasing pressure to take steps to correct inappropriate regulation or overregulation. The central question in this context is how to improve regulatory quality and make government action more effective. To that end, the state can take advantage of a variety of tools that are already being tested internationally. A policy that enhances the quality of regulation and lowers the level of bureaucracy for the economy, administrative bodies and citizens at large offers an opportunity for greater growth.

Focus areas

Developing a "community of practice" / Building networks

As systems for measuring regulatory costs have demonstrated, "policy learning" based on the experiences of other countries is a valuable resource. The Modern Regulation project therefore promotes an exchange of information both among domestic and international actors, e.g., through the annual International Regulatory Reform Conference (www.IRR-Conference.org) and the International Regulatory Reform Network (www.IRR-Network.org), as well as through diverse other events and publications on the national, European and global levels.

Ensuring legislation and its implementation are outcome-oriented

In order to improve decision-making procedures and government management activities, higher-quality instruments are needed for measuring outcomes, as are additional monitoring and coordination structures. The Modern Regulation project focuses on supporting recently established processes (e.g., for measuring regulatory cost) and institutions (e.g., national regulatory control councils). It also strives to expand related approaches and policy goals, such as those needed to verify long-term effectiveness.

Increasing opportunities for public participation

A key aspect of modern regulation activities is helping citizens get involved and increasing their involvement in the political system. More participation is one way to effectively address a democracy's weak spots and to improve processes and outcomes within both the policymaking and administrative spheres. Increasing participation among the public can thus be seen as an important complement to traditional representative bodies of government. At the same time, increasing participation helps make the public more aware of governance activities and how they work.