Midnight Regulations
At the end of every presidential administration, regulatory activity spikes during the “midnight” period between presidential election day and Inauguration Day. This surge is evident even when an incumbent is reelected, and it is considerably more pronounced if the administration changes. Outgoing administrations often use this window to push through sweeping and controversial regulations. Once finalized, regulations prove hard to repeal. During the spike, the quality of the agencies’ regulatory analysis drops and regulatory oversight by Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) weakens. As a result, federal agencies produce ineffective regulations and waste public resources.
Mercatus scholars analyze this phenomenon, conduct regulatory impact analysis of potential midnight regulations, and weigh in on the what the surges of midnight regulations mean for the entire regulatory process.
Latest work in Midnight Regulations
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
The Midnight Regulation Phenomenon
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
A Solution to the Midnight Regulation Outburst
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Midnight Regulations and Regulatory Review
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Midnight Regulations FAQ
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Midnight Regulations: An Update
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Working Papers Working Papers
The Cinderella Constraint: Why Regulations Increase Significantly During Post-Election Quarters
Latest work in Midnight Regulations
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
The Midnight Regulation Phenomenon
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
A Solution to the Midnight Regulation Outburst
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Midnight Regulations and Regulatory Review
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Midnight Regulations FAQ
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Midnight Regulations: An Update
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Working Papers Working Papers
The Cinderella Constraint: Why Regulations Increase Significantly During Post-Election Quarters
Latest work in Midnight Regulations
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Working Papers Working Papers