Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for October 2, 2017
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
October 2, 2017: Regulations imposed by the Obama administration increased regulatory costs to the private sector by $122 billion annually. Those are ongoing costs that will be incurred every year. The total was calculated by the Heritage Foundation based on assessments prepared by the rulemaking agencies.
It is the largest increase in regulatory costs imposed by any administration in American history. The comparable figure from the George W. Bush administration was a $68 billion increase.
The Regulatory State has been growing since the 1970s. There are currently 283,996 employees at federal regulatory agencies. Those agencies now have a budget of $70 billion annually. After adjusting for inflation, regulatory spending is nine times as high today as it was in 1970.
It has been 45 years since a majority of Americans have trusted the federal government, a time frame that matches the growth of the Regulatory State. In my latest book, Politics Has Failed: America Will Not, I make the case that this is no coincidence; the ongoing distrust of the federal government is directly related to the growth of the Regulatory State.
In practical terms, the $122 billion growth in annual regulatory costs understates the impact of the Obama administration’s 23,627 rules. That figure includes costs only what are defined as "major" regulations—individual rules that will cost the private sector a minimum of $100 million annually. There are no official figures for the costs of less expensive regulations.
Additionally, according to the report authors, these results do not capture “intangible costs, such as lost innovation or violations of individual liberty.”
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- September 29, 2017 – 4 trillion dollars in federal spending during Fiscal Year 2017
- September 28, 2017 – 64 percent of Americans believe football players should stand during national anthem
- September 27, 2017 – 295 years ago today, the Father of the American Revolution was born
- September 26, 2017 – 65 noteworthy endorsements in Alabama Senate primary
- September 25, 2017 – 8 years ago today, protests erupted against the proposed bank bailouts
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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