Oct. 23, 2023
Regulators often have limited access to relevant experts when drafting complex regulations, which can contribute to suboptimal rules. Some key issues: Technical complexity of regulated fields can outpace regulators' in-house expertise, like with rapidly evolving technologies. Revolving door between industry and government means most experienced experts end up on the private sector side. Salary caps and hiring delays hamper recruitment of top talent into regulatory agencies. Narrow focus on lawyers/policy generalists rather than practitioners with on-the-ground experience. Lack of multidisciplinary teams including science, engineering, economics, behavior specialists. Insufficient travel budgets, conferences, and training to expand expertise. Overreliance on industry lobbying groups for information rather than independent experts. Communication gaps between academia producing relevant research and policymakers. Expanding unbiased expert engagement throughout the rulemaking process could help agencies craft simpler, more effective regulations. But doing so requires overcoming structural expertise deficits. Supplementary outside advisory committees, fellows programs and research partnerships could provide missing perspectives. Sent with Proton Mail secure email.