Regulation — Social Studies definition
Defined in 3 courses:
- Rules governing conduct, whose effects depend on scope and enforcement. (United States History & Government: Colonial Foundations to the Early 21st Century)
- Rules and enforcement governing conduct, distinct from ownership itself. (United States History & Government: Colonial Foundations to the Early 21st Century)
- An agency rule issued under delegated authority and governing procedures. (Government, Civic Participation & Economics)
Where it is taught
- Progressive Reform: Goals, Tools & Limits — Reform, Empire & Democratic Participation, U.S. History: Reconstruction to the Early 21st Century, Grade 8
- Gilded Age Government, Regulation & Agrarian Politics — Industry, Migration & Gilded Age Politics, United States History & Government: Colonial Foundations to the Early 21st Century, Grade 11
- Progressive Reform: Federal Tools, Expertise & Exclusions — Progressive Reform, Empire & World War I, United States History & Government: Colonial Foundations to the Early 21st Century, Grade 11
- The Executive: Administration, Orders & Accountability — Constitution, Branches & Federalism, Government, Civic Participation & Economics, Grade 12
In use
The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 addressed railroad regulation, while the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 addressed restraints on trade and monopoly through federal law.
Gilded Age Government, Regulation & Agrarian Politics
Questions using regulation
Problem 1
Why should railroad regulation not be confused with public ownership?
Answer and explanation
Regulation establishes rules or oversight for an activity; public ownership changes who owns and operates it. The Interstate Commerce Act created a federal regulatory framework, rather than transferring all railroads to federal ownership. The regulator’s powers and enforcement still require investigation.