Towards a network theory of regulatory burden

• Main Authors: Jeremy Straughter, Kathleen Carley
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2021-09-01
• Series: Applied Network Science
• Subjects: Network science; Government regulation; Public policy; Public administration
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41109-021-00414-2

Abstract Government overlap creates problems for the public and private sector across several government systems. Research suggests that overlap burdens the political and economic system by increasing costs in terms of money, time, and complexity, decreasing innovation and investment, and dampening economic growth. Previous research has identified frameworks for categorizing regulatory overlap. However, the literature has not considered factors that contribute to regulatory overlap nor effective methods for its reduction. This research introduces a proxy measure for regulatory overlap which measures the regulatory burden that a federal agency imposes within the regulatory system. This research proposes a network theory of regulatory burden which finds that burden is a function of network properties characterizing a federal agency’s position within the regulatory system. This research suggests that the federal government may reduce occurrences of regulatory overlap by managing its regulatory network and fostering collaboration among federal agencies within the regulatory system.