Regulatory Enforcement in Action

Abstract

This panel focuses on the empirical study of enforcement and sanctions by regulatory agencies. In particular, the panel includes papers analyzing the different enforcement tools available to regulators to respond to wrongdoings and how these tools are used in practice. Enforcement by regulatory agencies is not simply the mechanical output of existing statutes or regulations. Public enforcers have in practice, at least to a certain extent, the discretion to choose how to prioritize and respond to wrongdoings by regulatees. What are the drivers of instrument choice and enforcement intensity? How does the political environment impact implementation when it comes to regulatory enforcement? The panel includes empirical contributions by scholars from different disciplines, adopting various theoretical and methodological approaches with applications in different policy fields.