From 'Command-and-control' to 'Open Method Coordination': Theorising the Practice of Regulatory Agencies

Abstract

The role of regulatory agencies has increased rapidly over the last century and so too has their powers. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), as one of Australia’s main economic regulators, is a good illustration of these changes. Using the ACCC as an example, this article explores some of these changes to governance strategies that have occurred over the last four decades and the role of regulatory theory in contextualising these changes.