Measuring Regulatory Complexity

Jean-Edouard Colliard and Co-Pierre Georg

No 14377, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: We propose a framework to study regulatory complexity, based on concepts from computer science. We distinguish different dimensions of complexity, classify existing measures, develop new ones, compute them on three examples---Basel I, the Dodd-Frank Act, and the European Banking Authority's reporting rules---and test them using experiments and a survey on compliance costs. We highlight two measures that capture complexity beyond the length of a regulation. We offer a quantitative approach to the policy trade-off between regulatory complexity and precision. Our toolkit is freely available and allows researchers to work on other texts and test alternative measures.

JEL-codes: G18 G28 G41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ban, nep-cba and nep-ore
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Measuring regulatory complexity (2025)
Working Paper: Measuring Regulatory Complexity (2020)
Working Paper: Measuring Regulatory Complexity (2020)
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