Reining In The Administrative State

Published: June 13, 2018

 

The administrative state is the collection of federal agencies, regulators, and rule makers that have become a powerful, unelected, and unaccountable part of the government. Over time, Congress and the judicial branch have ceded power to regulators. Reining in the administrative state will require Congress to reassert its authority over legislative matters and judges to grant less deference to regulators who overstep their bounds.

Discussion Questions

1. Is the administrative state a legitimate part of the government?
2. Are there any benefits of having an administrative state?
3. Can the administrative be reined in?

Related Resources

• To learn more, read “Reforming Administrative Law to Reflect Administrative Reality” by Adam White; available here.
• Read “Trumping the Administrative State” by Adam White; available here.
• Listen as Adam White breaks down the meaning of the administrative state and how it functions, touching on the underlying constitutional issues, the Obama administration’s use of executive actions, and what we might expect from President Trump; available here. 
• In "Policy Reforms for an Accountable Administrative State", Adam White, Oren Cass, and Kevin R. Kosar, offer help to policymakers in Congress and the new administration as they take up the task of regulatory reform; available here.