Richard A. Williams
- Senior Affiliated Scholar
Richard Williams is a Senior Affiliated Scholar, the former Director of the Regulatory Studies Program, and the former Vice President of Policy Research at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is an expert in benefit-cost analysis and risk analysis, particularly associated with food safety and nutrition. In 2021 he authored, “Fixing Food: An FDA Insider Unravels the Myths and the Solutions.”
Williams has testified before the US Congress and addressed numerous international governments, including those of the United Kingdom, China, South Korea, Yugoslavia, and Australia. His media appearances have included NPR, Reuters, Bloomberg, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
Before joining the Mercatus Center, Williams was the director for social sciences at the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where he worked for 27 years. He also was an adviser to the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis and taught economics at Washington and Lee University. He is a US Army veteran who served in Vietnam.
Latest Work
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Marie Kondo for OMB?
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
When Scientific Data Is Transparent, We All Benefit
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Fight du Jour Is No Scapegoat for a Mounting Debt and Health Crisis
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Whither Small Businesses?
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
A Cocktail for COVID Relief
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Still Navigating the Shining Seas
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How Agencies Can Help Small Business
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
On a doctor’s right to try in the age of COVID-19
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Times Like These Call for Will Rogers
Latest Work
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Marie Kondo for OMB?
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
When Scientific Data Is Transparent, We All Benefit
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Fight du Jour Is No Scapegoat for a Mounting Debt and Health Crisis
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Whither Small Businesses?
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
A Cocktail for COVID Relief
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Still Navigating the Shining Seas
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How Agencies Can Help Small Business
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
On a doctor’s right to try in the age of COVID-19
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Times Like These Call for Will Rogers
Latest Work
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
Are the Costs of Government on “Autopilot”?
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Regulations Implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
The Costs of Regulation and Spending: Is Congress Driving, or Are We on “Autopilot”?
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
Where Is the OIRA Oversight of FDA Guidance Documents?
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Principles for Analyzing Distribution in Regulatory Impact Analysis
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Regulatory Impact Analysis: The Cornerstone of Regulatory Reform
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
OIRA Quality Control Is Missing for Most Regulations
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Reforming Regulatory Analysis, Review, and Oversight: A Guide for the Perplexed
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Focused Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food against Intentional Adulteration
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
Why We Need Regulatory Reform in Two Charts
Latest Work
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Marie Kondo for OMB?
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
When Scientific Data Is Transparent, We All Benefit
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Fight du Jour Is No Scapegoat for a Mounting Debt and Health Crisis
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Whither Small Businesses?
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
A Cocktail for COVID Relief
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Still Navigating the Shining Seas
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How Agencies Can Help Small Business
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
On a doctor’s right to try in the age of COVID-19
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary