The issue of government regulation, in particular, how much government should intrude into the lives of its citizens and private organizations, is a core consideration of public policymakers. Government regulation can be either economic or social. State and local regulation can be substantially autonomous, or it can administer federal regulatory programs. The two regulatory approaches are administrative rulemaking, which emphasizes broad standards, and adjudication, in which administrative law judges within the agencies hear individual cases.

Courts control the regulatory system by arbitrating appeals from agency rules and specific decisions or by dealing with suits filed against agencies. Especially since the Reagan administration, presidents have been working hard to exert greater control over government regulation. Some discretion must be vested in regulatory agencies, and that discretion is subject to abuse.