Preventing Regulatory Capture Special Interest Influence and How to Limit it [Paperback]

Leading scholars from across the social sciences present empirical evidence that the obstacle of regulatory capture is more surmountable than previously thought.Recent crises in (de)regulated industries  most notably, the financial system's collapse, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and the 2006 West Virginia mine disaster  underscore the need for smarter regulation. Yet the task of regulating complex industries faces the obstacle of insider influence, which threatens to capture, or corrupt, the process if left unchecked. This timely volume brings together leading scholars from across the social sciences whose work presents empirical evidence that this obstacle is more surmountable than previously thought. The unprecedented rigor they bring to the study of capture will appeal to scholars and students across the social sciences, and prove a valuable resource for policy makers.Recent crises in (de)regulated industries  most notably, the financial system's collapse, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and the 2006 West Virginia mine disaster  underscore the need for smarter regulation. Yet the task of regulating complex industries faces the obstacle of insider influence, which threatens to capture, or corrupt, the process if left unchecked. This timely volume brings together leading scholars from across the social sciences whose work presents empirical evidence that this obstacle is more surmountable than previously thought. The unprecedented rigor they bring to the study of capture will appeal to scholars and students across the social sciences, and prove a valuable resource for policy makers.When regulations (or lack thereof) seem to detract from the common good, critics often point to regulatory capture as a culprit. In some academic and policy circles it seems to have assumed the status of an immutable law. Yet for all the ink spilled describing and decrying capture, the concept remains difficult to nail down in practice. Is capture truly as powerful and unlS¯