As the COVID-19 crisis has intensified, policymakers at all levels have called for the suspension of certain laws and regulations hindering timely and efficient responses to the pandemic. But this raises a fundamental question: were these regulations really necessary before the crisis?

This crisis has served as a stress test for American institutions, exposing many obsolete and often contradictory rules and regulations that have made it difficult for people and organizations to respond effectively to the pandemic. In a new policy brief, Patrick McLaughlin, Matthew D. Mitchell, and Adam Thierer take a look at why some of these rules and regulations have been suspended. They also explore how the COVID-19 crisis can serve as the occasion to advocate for reform or removal of regulations that benefit the few over the many.