The dictum, “first, do no harm,” is a duty commonly assigned to physicians. In our view, it’s a good mantra for regulators as well, and we urge it on the Federal Communications Commission in drawing up rules for an upcoming auction to free additional radio spectrum for smart phones, tablets …
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Check this recent commentary re the anniversary of the 1996 Telecom Act, which turned 17 last month. We come away convinced more than ever of the difficulty of designing regulatory policies that can keep up with the startling pace of technological change. In telecom, the changes have come … Brookings, the D.C.-based think tank, just published The Need for Speed: A New Framework for Telecommunications Policy for the 21st Century, the last word to date on Internet regulation written by telecom experts Robert Litan and Hal Singer. If you’re interested in the subject, this is a must-read. For those … Ma Bell had a monopoly in long-distance calls when Charley’s Angels dominated prime time; Standard Oil came close in oil, long before any of us were born. Almost everybody applauded when they were broken up – and lots of folks groaned when Microsoft, another gigantic corporation that cast a very … The president made a bit of a splash in January, choosing to unveil his new business-friendly approach to regulation on the often-hostile op-ed pages of The Wall Street Journal. Now, William Daley, his savvy chief-of-staff, is pursuing the administration’s charm offensive in the Financial Times. … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Tags: Barack Obama, benefit-cost analysis, Trade, William Daley | Category: Regulatory Reform |
 Leave a commentWe took note of the death of Alfred Kahn, a hero to regulatory economists and all-around good guy, in an earlier post. For those who would like to read what others have to say about Fred – and, if they wish, add their own comments — NERA Economic Consulting has … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Tags: Alfred Kahn, NERA Economic Consulting | Category: Quick Takes, Regulatory Reform |
Leave a commentWhen President Obama issued an executive order a few weeks ago aimed at reforming the way federal regulations are written and reviewed many people (including us) were skeptical that it would come to much. But there are signs that the stars really are aligned in favor of change. With … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Tags: air quality standards, Cass Sunstein, genetically modified crops, OSHA rules | Category: Regulatory Reform |
Leave a commentPresident Obama is getting a hard time from business these days – or, at least, from business lobbies that have decided they would be better off with Republicans in charge. And, to his credit, the president is apparently listening. Today he issued an executive order to … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Tags: executive order, Obama | Category: Regulatory Reform |
One commentAlfred Kahn, a towering figure in regulatory reform (and one of the nicest people on the planet), died on Monday at the age of 93. Though best known for his pivotal role in deregulating the airlines – as the chair of the Civil Aeronautics Board he led the charge to … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Tags: Alfred Kahn, Civil Aeronautics Board, New Deal, Philip Weiser | Category: Regulatory Reform |
Leave a comment…Texas State University historian James McWilliams’ in-the-trenches example of how information technology has increased the productivity of social scientists? He was looking for insights into how 19th-century Americans viewed the concept of weeds, and was able to cull all the relevant documents from a database of … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Tags: information technology, James McWilliams, technological change, tenure | Category: Did You See, Regulatory Reform |
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Professor Dieter Helm (Oxford) is a very fine fly fisherman, and an even better economist. If you haven’t done so, take a look at his new book “The Carbon Crunch: How We Are Getting Climate Change Wrong — and How to Fix It” for a bit of unconventional wisdom. He argues that politicians and the general public have not shown any real interest in addressing climate change. Helm argues that places like Europe should focus on setting a price for carbon that would cover consumption (and not just production), and that fracking could be a good “bridge” technology for reducing consumption of coal. The book is readable and insightful for those interested in the inside track on climate policy. 
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