Introduction to the Handbook of Regulatory Authorities

This introductory chapter sets the stage by describing the establishment and diffusion of regulatory authorities (also commonly referred as independent regulatory agencies) as the institutional cornerstone of regulatory governance. We then identify and present four main developments: the geographical spread of regulators; their extending sectoral reach; the evolution of the rationale for delegating competencies to independent regulators; and the progressive expansion of their mandate. After outlining the main features of the contributions to this volume, we delineate some remaining questions and discuss the possible ways forward.