Regulation describes an array of public policies explicitly designed to govern economic activity and its consequences at the level of the industry or firm. This course will begin with an examination of the history of economic regulation and deregulation. It will turn to explore the rise of the new social regulation in environmental policy and occupational safety and health policy. The course will conclude with an examination of regulation as governance. Understanding the limits of traditional regulation and the need to address a host of emerging problems, analysts have focused on various means of integrating regulatory and nonregulatory policies, corporate practices, and the activities of nongovernmental organizations (e.g., trade associations, standard-setting organizations, and environmental groups). To what extent can changes in governance create a context for social learning and the generation of solutions to problems that fall outside of standard political jurisdictions (e.g., global climate change, occupational safety, and health in international markets)? |