Editors' Introduction : Has "Regulation & Governance" made a difference?

Abstract

Regulation & Governance was founded 15 years ago based on a vision and an ambitious set of goals laid out by the founding editors, John Braithwaite, Cary Coglianese, and David Levi-Faur (see their introduction to the first issue: “Can regulation and governance make a difference?”, 2007). Fifteen years later, the current editors of Regulation & Governance, in dialogue with the founders, reflect on that vision, on the journal's accomplishments, and on the next 15 years of Regulation & Governance. Our reflections are based on our joint, comprehensive overview of regulatory governance scholarship in different subfields – the decision to not refer to individual works here is deliberate and intended to reflect the inclusiveness of our notion of the field. We mark the journal's anniversary at a moment when multiple cataclysmic events are straining regulation and governance as never before: a global pandemic and the social, economic, and biological devastation trailing in its wake; national, institutional, and personal reckonings with the legacy and the lived reality of systemic racism, colonialism, and white supremacy; challenges to democratic governance; extreme and growing economic inequality; rising tides of authoritarianism and violent extremism around the globe; a looming climate emergency that threatens life on this planet as we know it. Regulatory governance is indispensable for confronting these crises. Yet, at this critical moment, regulation itself – from mask requirements to low carbon fuel policies – has become the object of virulent political backlash against governments that attempt to address these issues. As societies emerge from pandemic restrictions, the normative and legal order also is being tested by rising violent crime rates and other aggressive behaviors. In this sense, the original vision for Regulation & Governance is more relevant than ever. But, 15 years later, these challenges prompt us to ask once again, what difference can regulation and governance make?