Modern Regulatory Agencies - Professional and Judicial Objectivity or Increased Complexity in Decision-Making?

Abstract

In this paper we examine the preconditions for fulfilling the aims of the regulatory reform in the case of Norway by comparing different decision-making processes in regulatory agencies. We cover both the process of regulatory reorganization and decision-making within established regulatory structures. Our theoretical point of departure is that regulatory agencies operate in a complex political-administrative context and that we must combine instrumental and institutional perspectives to understand how they work in practice. We start by contrasting the rational-economic approach with a broad transformative perspective that embraces organizationalstructural elements, cultural components and features from the institutional environment Second, we give a brief outline of the context in which agencies operate and administrative reforms have been implemented in Norway. Third, we describe how a new regulatory reform policy has been introduced in Norway over the last three years. Fourth, we focus on agency reform processes in two policy areas and on regulatory practice in two regulatory agencies as case studies. Fifth, we discuss regulatory reform processes and practice from different theoretical perspectives. Finally, we draw some conclusions and address their implications. The main picture is that there is a loose coupling between the OECD regulatory policy ideal and a) general Norwegian regulatory policy; b) the reorganization of regulatory agencies in specific policy areas; and c) regulatory practice in individual cases.