AEI's Jamison: FTC Firings Cast Doubt on Regulatory Legitimacy
The White House's firing of two Democratic FTC commissioners (see 2503190057) raises significant questions about whether regulatory agencies "can function effectively without the trappings of independence," American Enterprise Institute nonresident Senior Fellow Mark Jamison wrote Friday. A former member of…
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President Donald Trump’s transition team, Jamison said independent regulatory agencies were never meant to be fully outside government reach, as their leadership is appointed and decisions subject to judicial review. But their design is to try to ensure that businesses and consumers see a consistent and fair legal environment, he said, adding that regulatory legitimacy relies on business and consumers seeing agency decisions that follow the law and evidence, not political favoritism. Investors believing regulators are making politically motivated decisions will move their capital elsewhere, he said. Even if the White House prevails in legal challenges to the FTC firings, "that does not mean that regulatory leaders should act like partisan operatives," he said. "Fair, consistent, and transparent decision-making should remain the priority, regardless of how this legal battle ends."