Patrick McLaughlin
- Senior Research Fellow, Director of Policy Analytics
Dr. Patrick A. McLaughlin is the Director of Policy Analytics and a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. His research focuses primarily on regulations and the regulatory process.
Dr. McLaughlin created and leads the RegData and QuantGov projects, deploying machine learning and other tools of data science to quantify governance indicators found in federal and state regulations and other policy documents. The resulting database is freely available at QuantGov.org, and has facilitated pioneering empirical research by numerous third-party users on the causes and effects of regulation.
Dr. McLaughlin has authored more than a dozen peer-reviewed studies in diverse areas, including regulatory economics, administrative law, industrial organization, and international trade. His book, The Impact of Federal Regulation on the Fifty States (with Oliver Sherouse), is available for download here.
Dr. McLaughlin has given expert testimonies before Congress and state legislatures on topics ranging from the economic implications of regulatory accumulation to the potential impacts of regulatory reform. His research and op-eds have been featured in a wide range of media outlets including The Economist, C-SPAN, WSJ, Politico, and The Hill.
Prior to joining Mercatus, Dr. McLaughlin served as a Senior Economist at the Federal Railroad Administration in the United States Department of Transportation and as a Visiting Scholar at the Regulatory Studies Center at George Washington University. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Clemson University.
Latest Work
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Cataloging the Myriad Ways You Can Land in Jail | Cato Daily Podcast
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Ohio Games Its Own New Limits on Regulation | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Virginia’s Approach to Reducing Regulatory Burden as a Model for Pennsylvania
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
More Recent Regulations That Have No Benefit | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Thousands of Regulations Are Behind Paywalls | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Decoding Judicial Deference | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Occupational Licensing Reform Can Help Ease Workplace Shortages | Third Order
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
- | Mercatus Policy Download Mercatus Policy Download
Dr. Bruce Yandle's September 2023 Economic Situation Report

- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Puzzle of the Regulatory Process | Third Order
Latest Work
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Cataloging the Myriad Ways You Can Land in Jail | Cato Daily Podcast
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Ohio Games Its Own New Limits on Regulation | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Virginia’s Approach to Reducing Regulatory Burden as a Model for Pennsylvania
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
More Recent Regulations That Have No Benefit | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Thousands of Regulations Are Behind Paywalls | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Decoding Judicial Deference | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Occupational Licensing Reform Can Help Ease Workplace Shortages | Third Order
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
- | Mercatus Policy Download Mercatus Policy Download
Dr. Bruce Yandle's September 2023 Economic Situation Report

- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Puzzle of the Regulatory Process | Third Order
Latest Work
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Regulatory System Design: Some Solutions to the Delegation Problem
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
The Economic Situation, March 2023
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Counting the Code: How Many Criminal Laws Has Congress Created?
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
The Economic Situation, December 2022
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Working Papers Working Papers
RegAuthorities: The Regulations Authorities Dataset
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Census of Regulatory Restrictions
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
POLICY SPOTLIGHT: Improving the Regulatory Process through Regulatory Budgeting
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Industry Size and Regulation: Evidence from US States
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Regulation and Economic Growth
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Journal Articles Journal Articles
Larger Polities Are More Regulated
Latest Work
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Cataloging the Myriad Ways You Can Land in Jail | Cato Daily Podcast
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
- | Mercatus Policy Download Mercatus Policy Download
Dr. Bruce Yandle's September 2023 Economic Situation Report

- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
- | Mercatus Policy Download Mercatus Policy Download
Dr. Bruce Yandle's June 2023 Economic Situation Report
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
- | Mercatus Policy Download Mercatus Policy Download
Dr. Bruce Yandle's March 2023 Economic Situation Report
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
- | Mercatus Policy Download Mercatus Policy Download
Dr. Bruce Yandle's December 2022 Economic Situation Report
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
- | Mercatus Policy Download Mercatus Policy Download
Dr. Bruce Yandle's September 2022 Economic Situation Report
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
RegData Work Nominated for 2018 Templeton Freedom Award

- | Regulation Regulation
- | Mercatus Original Podcasts Mercatus Original Podcasts
Here's to Win-Win Regulatory Reform!

- | Regulation Regulation
- | Mercatus Original Video Mercatus Original Video
Reg Reform: What Patrick McLaughlin Says is Needed to Get it Right
Latest Work
- | Regulation Regulation
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Virginia’s Approach to Reducing Regulatory Burden as a Model for Pennsylvania
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
The Unintended Consequences of the FRA's Minimum Train Crew Size Rule
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
Mandated Reciprocal Switching May Cause More Railroad Worker Accidents and Casualties
- | Academic & Student Programs Academic & Student Programs
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
Ideas for Regulatory Review at the US Department of Transportation
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
The Effects of Occupational Licensure on Competition, Consumers, and the Workforce
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Federal Testimonies Federal Testimonies
Regulatory Budgeting as a Solution to the Accumulation of Regulatory Errors
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
Public Interest Comment on Train Crew Staffing Rule
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Federal Testimonies Federal Testimonies
Regulations Contribute to Poverty
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Federal Testimonies Federal Testimonies
Regulatory Reform Can Amount to a Progressive Tax Refund, If Done Right
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Public Interest Comments Public Interest Comments
Transparency of Airline Ancillary Fees and Other Consumer Protection Issues
Latest Work
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Ohio Games Its Own New Limits on Regulation | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
More Recent Regulations That Have No Benefit | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Thousands of Regulations Are Behind Paywalls | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Decoding Judicial Deference | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Occupational Licensing Reform Can Help Ease Workplace Shortages | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Puzzle of the Regulatory Process | Third Order
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Roll Over, Hammurabi: Federal Regulations Are Hidden Behind Paywalls | National Review
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How To Bail America Out From Overregulation | Discourse
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary