IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/revind/v65y2024i2d10.1007_s11151-024-09974-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

40 Years of Incentive Regulation: What Have We Learned, and What Questions Remain?

Author

Listed:
  • David E. M. Sappington

    (University of Florida)

  • Dennis L. Weisman

    (Kansas State University)

Abstract

This article serves as an introduction to the Review of Industrial Organization’s Special Issue commemorating 40 years of incentive regulation. The article summarizes some of the key lessons we have learned about the design and implementation of incentive regulation. The article also identifies questions that remain to be answered.

Suggested Citation

  • David E. M. Sappington & Dennis L. Weisman, 2024. "40 Years of Incentive Regulation: What Have We Learned, and What Questions Remain?," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 65(2), pages 361-373, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:revind:v:65:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11151-024-09974-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11151-024-09974-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11151-024-09974-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11151-024-09974-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Weisman, Dennis L, 1993. "Superior Regulatory Regimes in Theory and Practice," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 5(4), pages 355-366, December.
    2. Bovera, Filippo & Delfanti, Maurizio & Fumagalli, Elena & Lo Schiavo, Luca & Vailati, Riccardo, 2021. "Regulating electricity distribution networks under technological and demand uncertainty," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    3. David E. M. Sappington & Dennis L. Weisman, 2016. "The disparate adoption of price cap regulation in the U.S. telecommunications and electricity sectors," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 250-264, April.
    4. Lucas W. Davis & Catherine Hausman & Nancy L. Rose, 2023. "Transmission Impossible? Prospects for Decarbonizing the US Grid," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 37(4), pages 155-180, Fall.
    5. Steve Cicala, 2015. "When Does Regulation Distort Costs? Lessons from Fuel Procurement in US Electricity Generation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(1), pages 411-444, January.
    6. Mark Armstrong & David E.M. Sappington, 2006. "Regulation, Competition and Liberalization," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 44(2), pages 325-366, June.
    7. Graeme Guthrie, 2006. "Regulating Infrastructure: The Impact on Risk and Investment," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 44(4), pages 925-972, December.
    8. Mark Armstrong & Simon Cowan & John Vickers, 1994. "Regulatory Reform: Economic Analysis and British Experience," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262510790, December.
    9. Dennis L. Weisman, 2023. "Measuring the Power of Regulatory Regimes," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 62(1), pages 19-32, February.
    10. Guthrie, Graeme, 2006. "Regulating Infrastructure: The Impact on Risk and Investment," Working Paper Series 18946, Victoria University of Wellington, The New Zealand Institute for the Study of Competition and Regulation.
    11. Ellen M. Pint, 1992. "Price-Cap versus Rate-of-Return Regulation in a Stochastic-Cost Model," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 23(4), pages 564-578, Winter.
    12. Vasington Paul B., 2003. "Incentive Regulation in Practice: A Massachusetts Case Study," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 2(4), pages 1-15, December.
    13. M.E. Beesley & S.C. Littlechild, 1989. "The Regulation of Privatized Monopolies in the United Kingdom," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 20(3), pages 454-472, Autumn.
    14. Jean-Jacques Laffont & Jean Tirole, 1993. "A Theory of Incentives in Procurement and Regulation," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262121743, December.
    15. Richard A. Posner, 1971. "Taxation by Regulation," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 2(1), pages 22-50, Spring.
    16. Ismail Saglam, 2024. "The Bayesian approach to monopoly regulation after 40 years," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 65(1), pages 108-136, June.
    17. Crew, Michael A & Kleindorfer, Paul R, 2002. "Regulatory Economics: Twenty Years of Progress?," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 5-22, January.
    18. David Sappington, 1996. "Designing Incentive Regulation for the Telecommunications Industry," Books, American Enterprise Institute, number 52863, September.
    19. David Sappington & Dennis Weisman, 2010. "Price cap regulation: what have we learned from 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry?," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 227-257, December.
    20. repec:vuw:vuwscr:18946 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Paul Joskow, 2005. "Regulation and Deregulation after 25 Years: Lessons Learned for Research in Industrial Organization," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 26(2), pages 169-193, December.
    22. Jamasb, Tooraj & Pollitt, Michael, 2003. "International benchmarking and regulation: an application to European electricity distribution utilities," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(15), pages 1609-1622, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Armstrong, Mark & Sappington, David E.M., 2007. "Recent Developments in the Theory of Regulation," Handbook of Industrial Organization, in: Mark Armstrong & Robert Porter (ed.), Handbook of Industrial Organization, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 27, pages 1557-1700, Elsevier.
    2. Dennis L. Weisman, 2019. "The power of regulatory regimes reexamined," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 56(2), pages 125-148, December.
    3. J.A. den Hertog, 2010. "Review of economic theories of regulation," Working Papers 10-18, Utrecht School of Economics.
    4. Dennis L. Weisman, 2023. "Measuring the Power of Regulatory Regimes," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 62(1), pages 19-32, February.
    5. Michael Hellwig & Dominik Schober & Luis Cabral, 2018. "Incentive Regulation: Evidence From German Electricity Networks," Working Papers 18-03, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
    6. Antonio Estache & Liam Wren-Lewis, 2009. "Toward a Theory of Regulation for Developing Countries: Following Jean-Jacques Laffont's Lead," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(3), pages 729-770, September.
    7. Mark Armstrong & David E.M. Sappington, 2006. "Regulation, Competition and Liberalization," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 44(2), pages 325-366, June.
    8. Hellwig, Michael & Schober, Dominik & Cabral, Luís, 2020. "Low-powered vs high-powered incentives: Evidence from German electricity networks," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    9. Graeme Guthrie, 2006. "Regulating Infrastructure: The Impact on Risk and Investment," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 44(4), pages 925-972, December.
    10. Cullmann, Astrid & Nieswand, Maria, 2016. "Regulation and investment incentives in electricity distribution: An empirical assessment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 192-203.
    11. John W. Mayo & David E. M. Sappington, 2016. "Regulation in a ‘Deregulated’ Industry: Railroads in the Post-Staggers Era," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 49(2), pages 203-227, September.
    12. Cave, Martin, 2024. "Incentive regulation: expectations, surprises, and the road forward," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 124579, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    13. Jeffrey Bernstein & Juan Hernandez & Jose Rodriguez & Agustin Ros, 2007. "X-factor updating and total factor productivity growth: the case of peruvian telecommunications, 1996–2003," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 31(3), pages 355-355, June.
    14. Bernstein, Jeffrey I & Sappington, David E M, 1999. "Setting the X Factor in Price-Cap Regulation Plans," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 5-25, July.
    15. Larry Blank & John Mayo, 2009. "Endogenous Regulatory Constraints and the Emergence of Hybrid Regulation," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 35(3), pages 233-255, November.
    16. David E. M. Sappington & Dennis L. Weisman, 2021. "Vertical Merger Policy: Special Considerations in Regulated Industries," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 59(2), pages 393-407, September.
    17. Alessandro Petretto, 2009. "On the Impact of Productive Efficiency and Quality of a Regulated Local Public Utility Upon Final Goods Prices and Consumer's Welfare," Giornale degli Economisti, GDE (Giornale degli Economisti e Annali di Economia), Bocconi University, vol. 68(3), pages 311-339, July.
    18. Guthrie, Graeme, 2006. "Regulating Infrastructure: The Impact on Risk and Investment," Working Paper Series 18946, Victoria University of Wellington, The New Zealand Institute for the Study of Competition and Regulation.
    19. David Sappington & Dennis Weisman, 2012. "Regulating regulators in transitionally competitive markets," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 19-40, February.
    20. Brown, David P. & Sappington, David E. M., 2023. "Designing Incentive Regulation in the Electricity Sector," Working Papers 2023-10, University of Alberta, Department of Economics.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:revind:v:65:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11151-024-09974-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.