Intergovernmental ‘Deregulation’: Readings from the First Reagan Years

Among the most important changes in federal domestic programs in the United States of America under the first two years of the Reagan Administration has been a reduction in federal regulation of state and local governments. Three strategies of deregulation have been utilized by the Administration: (1) removal of the federal government's possibilities for regulatory involvement by cutting social programs and by devolving program responsibilities to the states; (2) reduction of federal regulations under existing statutes; and (3) relaxation in the enforcement of existing regulations. The study illustrates the three deregulatory strategies by examining their application to the civil-rights and environmental policy arenas. The conclusion presented is that the strategies have so far been successful in reducing regulatory activity in the environmental and civil-rights arenas; however, environmental and civil-rights advocates are mounting a counterattack by turning to Congress and the courts to prevent devolution and other deregulatory actions that weaken enforcement of national laws.