TY - JOUR
T1 - The ‘forever war’ on red tape and the struggle to improve regulation
AU - Freiberg, Arie
AU - Pfeffer, Monica
AU - van der Heijden, Jeroen
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Institute of Public Administration Australia
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Since the 1970s, Australian governments have sought to reduce regulatory burdens, particularly on business, subject regulation to rigorous cost–benefit analysis and constrain both the stock and flow of new regulation. Yet, however, measured, regulation continues to grow, frequently in response to community demand. In this article, we interrogate both the more extreme claims of the anti-regulation advocates and the alleged successes of anti-red tape initiatives, identifying a critical clash of values over the role of the state and the appropriate relationship between government, business and the community. We conclude by arguing that to deliver desirable societal, economic and democratic outcomes, we need to acknowledge regulation as an asset, professionalise its workforce and more actively assert its public value.
AB - Since the 1970s, Australian governments have sought to reduce regulatory burdens, particularly on business, subject regulation to rigorous cost–benefit analysis and constrain both the stock and flow of new regulation. Yet, however, measured, regulation continues to grow, frequently in response to community demand. In this article, we interrogate both the more extreme claims of the anti-regulation advocates and the alleged successes of anti-red tape initiatives, identifying a critical clash of values over the role of the state and the appropriate relationship between government, business and the community. We conclude by arguing that to deliver desirable societal, economic and democratic outcomes, we need to acknowledge regulation as an asset, professionalise its workforce and more actively assert its public value.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122817411&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1467-8500.12534
DO - 10.1111/1467-8500.12534
M3 - Article
SN - 0313-6647
JO - Australian Journal of Public Administration
JF - Australian Journal of Public Administration
ER -