Rules with Compliance Built In

Because rules are the foundation of compliance outcomes, and case studies are the most powerful demonstration of that fact, this first chapter is an in-depth exploration of the compliance design of eight programs: four successful and four compliance disasters. The examples include regulations about air pollution (Acid Rain Program, New Source Review, Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program), water pollution (secondary treatment for sewage plants), drinking water (pathogens and lead), pesticides (paraquat), and even one criminal catastrophe from South Korea (the Sewol Ferry), and illuminate both the benefits of compliance-resilient programs and the public health dangers created by poor compliance structure. Two examples regulate coal-fired power plants, but with dramatically different results, illustrating that it’s not the compliance culture of the regulated industry that determines success on the ground, it’s the design of the rule that matters.