Is Regulation Good For You?

The Inherent Tensions of Regulation ... (If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. —The Federalist, Number 51) ... In most regulatory programs, there is an inherent tension between promoting the industry in question and protecting the public ... The industry has the power of political access through campaign contributions, corporate officers who rub shoulders with politicians at elite events, and the power of high-priced legal help. – Governing.com

Dominant Social Theme: Regulation ain't so hot, but maybe it can be ...

Free-Market Analysis: This article posted over at governing.com is an interesting one. It is written by Dr. Mark Funkhouser, a former Kansas City mayor and auditor, who is the director of the Governing Institute.

It focuses on the "big picture" of regulation, which is that while private industry can give rise to problems and quarrels, regulation itself is also flawed. The proximate cause of the article, however, is the pushback that New York Mayor Bloomberg is receiving over his program, begun in July 2010, of giving letter grades to the city's restaurants for cleanliness, etc

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