The Regulators: Anonymous Power Brokers in American Politics [Paperback]

Cindy Skrzycki (Author), Keith Bendis (Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0742519082 | ISBN-13: 978-0742519084 | Publication Date: May 2003

The Regulators is a fresh look at how the regulatory system works in Washington and how it affects the life of every American. The book, an incisive and sometimes entertaining look at the back corridors of government, draws upon real-life regulatory episodes that illustrate the power and reach of the rule-making establishment in Washington. It's the first examination of the regulatory world, and the entities that interact with it, that is both accessible and indispensable to undergraduate, graduate, business, and law students, as well as regulatory practitioners and political junkies alike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Few people know more about the underworld of government regulation than Cindy Skrzycki. Here she guides us through the labyrinthian depths and points out the most important sights along the way—who regulates, how regulations get made, and in what ways they shape our daily lives. (Robert B. Reich )

The Regulators is a useful, lively, and entertaining book on the federal bureaucracy. No, that is not an oxymoron! Cindy Skrzycki, the Washington Post's long time reporter on the regulatory beat, knows better than anyone the stories of political power struggles, lobbying duels, and legal battles that have taken place 'inside the Beltway' in the last 20 years. These include the role of the powerful White House agency known as 'OIRA,' the appropriateness of placing a value on human life, and the fight over 'midnight regulations.' She has combined her best insights and stories into this highly readable volume, which will be of interest to lawyers, political scientists, and students of all ages--anyone who wants to know how things really work inthe halls of Washington.. (Jeffrey Lubbers )

Cindy Skrzycki shines a bright light on the most important, yet least understood process of government: converting the broad laws that Congress and the president enact into tight rules that actually govern real behavior. Her sentences are sharp and to the point, her prose easily understandable, and her insights right on target. This book is an essential reader for both the regulated (us) and the regulators (them). (Paul Light )

Cindy Skrzycki shines the light of her reporter's intelligence on what is certainly the most obscure but arguably the most important area of government--the regulatory agencies. Consumers, business people, and political buffs will all find her revelations riveting. (Broder, David S. )

An extremely clear, helpful, and intelligent guide. Highly recommended. (Sunstein, Cass )

The Regulators is a useful, lively, and entertaining book on the federal bureaucracy. No, that is not an oxymoron! Cindy Skrzycki, the Washington Post's long time reporter on the regulatory beat, knows better than anyone the stories of political power struggles, lobbying duels, and legal battles that have taken place 'inside the Beltway' in the last 20 years. These include the role of the powerful White House agency known as 'OIRA,' the appropriateness of placing a value on human life, and the fight over 'midnight regulations.' She has combined her best insights and stories into this highly readable volume, which will be of interest to lawyers, political scientists, and students of all ages--anyone who wants to know how things really work in the halls of Washington. (Jeffrey Lubbers )

Revealing. (The Charlotte Observer )

Skrzycki's book is quite an accopmlishment. It's a book about federal bureaucracy--perhaps the dullest, driest, most mundane subject matter imaginable-- and Skrzycki makes it fascinating. (Fox News )

The book will make absorbing reading for anyone interested in American politics and regulation. (Regulation )

Engaging . . . well-crafted. Highly recommended. (Choice )

About the Author

Cindy Skrzycki is a business columnist for The Washington Post, specializing in the nexus between government, business, and regulation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (May 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0742519082
• ISBN-13: 978-0742519084
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #343,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun (?) with Regulation, May 20, 2003

By 

Susan Dudley (Arlington, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Regulators: Anonymous Power Brokers in American Politics (Hardcover)

Cindy Skrzycki's weekly column titled "The Regulators" has captured the attention of readers of the Washington Post for more than a decade, uncovering the power struggles, political intrigue, special interests and legal battles that go on behind the scenes in Washington. Now, her wit and humor help make the seemingly arcane topic of regulation accessible (and even fun) for readers of her new book, The Regulators: Anonymous Power Brokers in American Politics.

The book, punctuated by some of her most interesting and amusing columns over the years, will make interesting reading for anyone interested in American politics and regulation. Skrzycki's goal in writing the book was to "take a complicated and sometimes inscrutable topic and make it a comprehensible, important lesson in government," (XII), and she succeeds. The Regulators does not provide an academic treatment of the theories of regulation nor details of legal or economic principles. Rather, it addresses the more personal side of regulation: who are these anonymous power brokers determining the legal size of holes in Swiss cheese or the definition of a breath mint? By whom are they influenced and how ubiquitous is their influence in our daily lives?

Followers of her column will be pleased to see that, like her Post stories, each chapter is humorously illustrated by Keith Bendis.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious and informative, October 6, 2008

By 

Dorit Rubinstein (San Jose, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Regulators: Anonymous Power Brokers in American Politics (Paperback)

I have been reading Cindy Skrzycki's column for several years but have only now found out about this book. It's great. It not only takes previous (delicious) columns and puts them in context, it draws on public administration literature to teach you a lot more about the all encompassing administrative state - and all with humor and balance. Skrzycki knows her administrators and knows her politics. If you don't know anything about the administrative state, this is a really good place to start. If you know much about it, you'll still learn something you didn't.

5.0 out of 5 stars More Accurate than Any Civics Class, October 8, 2009

By 

J. Slemrod (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Regulators: Anonymous Power Brokers in American Politics (Paperback)

Did you know that the federal government regulates the size of the holes in Swiss cheese?

Cindy Skrzycki's book "The Regulators" is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in politics, lobbying, and everything in between. It will likely lay to rest the what you learned in civics class, showing the immense power that special interests in Washington can wield. She goes far beyond portraying these legislative battles as simply "business vs. labor" or "more vs. less," focusing closely on specific tactics that interests use, such as the use of arcane Congressional procedures, the targeting of Federal agencies tasked with promulgating regulations, and a whole host of other strategies. It's impossible to understand the political process without substantive and concise cast studies to study. Skrzycki's years as a Washington Post on the "regulatory beat" make her more than up to the task of providing them for students of the political process.