Deregulation

Deregulation refers to a process of rolling back government regulation of sections of the economy or of individual companies.

Deregulation is a policy tool associated with neoliberal economics, and was popularised in the 1980s by Ronald Reagan in the USA and by Margaret Thatcher in the UK.

In theory, deregulation is based on the economic idea that business, unencumbered by regulations, will work more efficiently, resulting in lower prices for consumers. In reality, it is often an excuse for rolling back social or environmental regulations, and often results in greater profits for business.

External Resources

• Wikipedia, Deregulation