How did the Heritage Foundation and Ronald Reagan each conceptualize deregulation, and how were these ideas implemented in the 1980s policy landscape?

Abstract

This paper looks into how the Heritage Foundation’s freemarket ideas influenced the deregulatory policies of the Reagan administration during the 1980s. It compares the Heritage Foundation's detailed deregulatory plan from Mandate for Leadership II (1980) with Reagan's executive orders, legislative actions, and various scholarly opinions. The research highlights key areas where Reagan's approach differed from what Heritage proposed. While the Heritage Foundation wanted to fully eliminate federal regulations in sectors like energy, transportation, telecommunications, and environmental protection, Reagan chose to modify or even reject some of these ideas. This shows how complex it can be to implement policies and the challenges that arise when balancing different political beliefs within a diverse democratic system.