Bureaucracy | Reason Archives (original) (raw)
Families Need Affordable Housing, but New York Residents Use Red Tape To Block Development
With the help of New York’s environmental review law, local NIMBYs halted an approved housing project, adding to delays and costs in a city facing a housing shortage.
Daryl James and Bob Belden | 11.19.2024 2:40 PM
Can RFK Jr. Fix Our Dysfunctional Public Health Agencies?
His priorities may not be the drastic reforms that are actually needed.
Ronald Bailey | 11.15.2024 5:25 PM
Biden Wants To Triple Nuclear Energy Capacity, but He'll Have To Cut Red Tape To Do It
Even with burgeoning private sector support, nuclear can’t thrive without regulatory reform.
Jeff Luse | 11.15.2024 3:58 PM
One Brainworm To Rule Them All
Plus: The sex-withholders, new JAQ with Lee Fang, and more...
Liz Wolfe | 11.15.2024 9:30 AM
Abolish the Federal Alcohol Tax and Regulation System
The states already overregulate alcohol. There's no need for a federal layer of red tape.
C. Jarrett Dieterle | 11.14.2024 6:00 AM
Abolish the IRS—and the Income Tax Too
Americans spent an estimated $133 billion and 6.5 billion hours filing their tax returns in 2024.
Joe Lancaster | 11.14.2024 6:00 AM
FDA Recalls 80,000 Pounds of Costco Butter Over Missing Milk Allergy Warning
Apparently consumers are too stupid to know that butter contains milk.
Emma Camp | 11.13.2024 3:39 PM
FEMA's Targeting of Trump Supporters Makes the Case for Less Government
Government agencies and officials can’t be trusted, so we should give them less to do.
J.D. Tuccille | 11.13.2024 7:00 AM
Harris' 'Medicare at Home' Plan Would Fail To Make At-Home Care Affordable
Harris' plan to extend at-home care to Medicare recipients is yet another example of wasteful spending.
Kevin Garcia-Galindo | 10.22.2024 3:13 PM
Milei Shuts Down Argentina's Tax Agency
AFIP is an "unnecessary bureaucracy" that stifles economic freedom, says Milei's government.
Katarina Hall | 10.22.2024 9:50 AM
In a Victory for the Free Market, FDA Approves New Schizophrenia Drug
Despite billions of taxpayer dollars spent on mental illness research, Cobenfy was developed by a private biopharmaceutical company.
Kevin Garcia-Galindo | 9.27.2024 4:59 PM
A Setback for MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy
An FDA advisory committee concluded that MDMA's benefits had not been shown to outweigh its risks.
Jacob Sullum | 9.12.2024 6:00 AM
The Supreme Court Reined in Federal Regulators. What Happens Now?
The Court this year reversed Chevron, a decades-old precedent giving bureaucrats deference over judges when the law is ambiguous.
Peter Suderman | 9.10.2024 6:00 AM
The Government's Permitting Regime Is Choking the Economy
Housing costs, job availability, energy prices, and technological advancement all hinge on a web of red tape that is leaving Americans poorer and less free.
Veronique de Rugy | 9.5.2024 12:01 AM
Idaho Child Care Program Faces $16 Million Deficit as Bureaucrats Overextend Benefits
As conservatives push for cuts, lasting reform will require closing accountability gaps and restructuring entitlements.
Niklas Kleinworth | 8.28.2024 4:30 PM
The Afghan Allies Left Behind in the Graveyard of Empires
Thousands of people who helped the U.S. in Afghanistan are still looking for an escape.
Fiona Harrigan | 8.25.2024 6:00 AM
'Transparency' Mandate Would Burden Small Brewers and Distilleries
Government pre-approval for every label could crush craft breweries. And do you really want to force the Carthusian monks who make Green Chartreuse to reveal their ingredients?
C. Jarrett Dieterle | 8.24.2024 7:00 AM
California Lawmakers Face Backlash Over Doomsday-Driven AI Bill
The bill could have unintended consequences that reach far beyond California, affecting the entire nation.
Brian Chau | 8.16.2024 10:45 AM
California's AI Bill Threatens To Derail Open-Source Innovation
The bill’s sweeping regulations could leave developers navigating a legal minefield and potentially halt progress in its tracks.
Andy Jung | 8.13.2024 2:20 PM
The Secret Committee Behind America's Prohibition Comeback
Washington bureaucrats are rewriting the rules on drinking, and a hidden panel of unelected officials could be paving the way for Prohibition 2.0.
C. Jarrett Dieterle | 8.10.2024 7:00 AM
Biden's DHS Halting Migrant Program Raises Border Security Concerns
Suspending the parole program for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela could increase illegal entries and undermine border security.
David Bier and Alex Nowrasteh | 8.9.2024 10:15 AM
'The Problem Is Spending': Libertarian Presidential Nominee Chase Oliver's Vision for the Future
The candidate supports gun rights, wants to privatize government programs, and would radically reduce the number of federal employees.
John Stossel | 7.24.2024 11:40 AM
The DEA Wants To Ban Scientifically 'Crucial' Psychedelics Because People Might Use Them
The agency claims DOI and DOC have "a high potential for abuse" because they resemble other drugs it has placed in Schedule I.
Jacob Sullum | 7.23.2024 5:05 PM
The Best of Reason: Child Welfare Systems Are Trapping Innocent Families
Georgia parents were accused of child abuse after they took their daughter to the doctor. Does the state's story add up?
Emma Camp | 7.9.2024 6:03 PM
He Immigrated to the U.S. as a Child. He Was Just Kicked Out—Despite Coming Here Legally.
"Documented Dreamers" continue to have to leave the country even though this is the only home many have ever known.
Billy Binion | 7.8.2024 6:00 AM
Child Welfare Systems Are Trapping Innocent Families
Georgia parents were accused of child abuse after they took their daughter to the doctor. Does the state's story add up?
Emma Camp | 7.6.2024 6:00 AM
Biden, Trump, and RFK Jr. Are All Anti-Freedom
Those three presidential candidates are making promises that would have bewildered and horrified the Founding Fathers.
John Stossel | 7.3.2024 12:30 AM
Why the End of Chevron Could Be a Win for Immigrants
“Immigration is an area of the law where the partisan alignments break down over Chevron.”
Fiona Harrigan | 7.2.2024 2:55 PM
SCOTUS Repudiates Doctrine That Gave Agencies a License To Invent Their Own Authority
The Court says Chevron deference allows bureaucrats to usurp a judicial function, creating "an eternal fog of uncertainty" about what the law allows or requires.
Jacob Sullum | 6.28.2024 12:50 PM
FDA Belatedly and Arbitrarily Approves Menthol Vapes
The agency's inscrutable approach to harm-reducing nicotine products sacrifices consumer choice and public health on the altar of youth protection.
Jacob Sullum | 6.24.2024 3:15 PM
The Supreme Court May Be on the Brink of Radically Restricting Bureaucrats' Power
Chevron deference, a doctrine created by the Court in 1984, gives federal agencies wide latitude in interpreting the meaning of various laws. But the justices may overturn that.
Veronique de Rugy | 6.20.2024 2:34 AM
What Can You Do While Waiting for a FOIA Response?
It often takes almost a year or more to get public records from the federal government. Here are some things you can do while you wait.
Matthew Petti | 6.17.2024 6:00 AM
Federally Funded Dad Jokes
Does America really need a National Strategic Dad Jokes Reserve?
Eric Boehm | 6.16.2024 6:00 AM
The Government Screwed Up College Financial Aid Applications
The new FAFSA form is like HealthCare.gov but for college students.
Emma Camp | 6.13.2024 6:00 AM
Libertarian Candidate Chase Oliver Wants To Bring Back 'Ellis Island Style' Immigration Processing
The Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate says he would address areas from a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants to high-skilled visa reform.
Fiona Harrigan | 5.31.2024 4:35 PM
San Diego Is Cracking Down on Groups Exercising Outside Without a Permit
A revision to the municipal code made it illegal for groups of four or more people to convene in public spaces for commercial recreational activities without a government stamp of approval.
Billy Binion | 5.20.2024 5:15 PM
Zoning Regulations Empower Control Freaks—and Bigots
The Institute for Justice has launched a project to reform land use regulation.
J.D. Tuccille | 5.15.2024 7:00 AM
A New Law Is Making It Even Harder To Find Day Care in D.C.
D.C.'s new degree requirements could lead to job losses, increased operating costs, and higher tuition.
Justin Zuckerman | 5.14.2024 10:45 AM
AI Can Do Paperwork Doctors Hate
With help from artificial intelligence, doctors can focus on patients.
Natalie Dowzicky | 5.14.2024 6:00 AM
Trump Promised To 'Drain the Swamp.' He Did the Opposite.
Total spending under Trump nearly doubled. New programs filled Washington with more bureaucrats.
John Stossel | 5.8.2024 1:20 AM
West Virginia Declares State of Emergency Over FAFSA Chaos
Due to persistent glitches in the financial aid form, Gov. Jim Justice issued an executive order lifting the FAFSA requirement for several state grants.
Emma Camp | 5.3.2024 2:50 PM
No One Can Make Government Work
If businesses don't serve customers well, they go out of business. Government, on the other hand, is a monopoly.
John Stossel | 5.1.2024 12:30 AM
FDA Once Again Stands Athwart Biomedical Innovation, Yelling 'Stop!'
New red tape will result in fewer safe and effective diagnostic tests.
Ronald Bailey | 4.29.2024 4:15 PM
Congress Does Not Come Back With a Warrant
Plus: A listener asks the editors for examples of tasks the government does well (yikes).
Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman | 4.15.2024 5:00 PM
A Florida Judge Says $165,000 in Fines for 3 Minor Code Violations Is Not 'Excessive'
Sandy Martinez faces that bill because of driveway cracks, a storm-damaged fence, and cars parked on her own property that illegally touched her lawn.
Jacob Sullum | 4.10.2024 2:30 PM
How Michigan Lost $1 Million of Liquor
Sadly, not by drinking it—the government just lost a fifth of the state’s inventory.
C. Jarrett Dieterle | 4.6.2024 7:00 AM
FDA Aims To Stifle Medical Innovation Again
After botching COVID test approvals, the Food and Drug Administration wants power over thousands of other tests.
Ronald Bailey | 3.28.2024 6:00 AM
'15 Days To Slow the Spread': On the Fourth Anniversary, a Reminder to Never Give Politicians That Power Again
In the name of safety, politicians did many things that diminished our lives—without making us safer.
John Stossel | 3.20.2024 9:45 AM