The Cost of Regulations

As President-elect Trump and his allies continue pushing for sweeping deregulation to free the economy from bureaucratic constraints, we zoom in on how much regulation costs the U.S. economy. (Phoenix Center)

A 2017 Phoenix Center study: One federal regulator costs the U.S. economy $11 million annually and 135 private sector jobs per year.

An American Action Forum report: New rules implemented during the Biden administration are estimated to cost the economy $1.4 trillion.

A 2023 study by UC Berkeley and USC researchers: Complying with regulations costs the American economy $289 billion a year.

Context: While campaigning Trump promised the most aggressive regulatory rollback in U.S. history, and in the past said he wants to cut regulations by 75%.

• Before Trump's first term, the Congressional Review Act was used once to overturn agency regulations.

• During his first term, Trump and Congress used it 16 times.

• In 2024, over 56 recent regulatory actions are eligible to be repealed.