Modern democracy requires administrative processes to be publicly accountable. Yet public trust in bureaucratic expertise has eroded to perhaps its lowest level in history. One of the Biden administration’s responses to this development has been to modernize OIRA regulatory review. This involves reforms like modifying the discount rates in cost-benefit analysis; placing greater emphasis on distributional concerns; and exploring innovative ways to broaden public participation in the process, including by members of traditionally disempowered stakeholder groups. These efforts raise timely and timeless questions about the respective roles of democracy, accountability, and expertise in the administrative state.
Business meeting at program conclusion.