ABSTRACT
Many federal agencies have responsibilities that appear to require coordination among agencies in working on problems that cut across traditional bureaucratic lines. Legislative clarity is of great importance in ensuring that a regulatory agency follows a clear and legitimate course of action. The extent of regulatory coverage can have a significant impact on paperwork/information costs. In certain instances, scientific data are of considerable aid in the development of standards. In cases where decisions are necessarily judgmental, there is less justification for such analyses. Government decisions are bound to be better if all legitimate parties have a chance to be heard in the decision-making process. However, more participation is expensive in terms of the amount of paperwork/information generated. All regulatory agencies have procedures by which their decisions may be appealed. In establishing a proper petition process, the regulatees must have the right to offer legitimate protests, and the petition process must not inhibit timely and effective regulation.
