Abstract
Regulatory authorities typically justify their decisions in terms of the "public interest," but the term is difficult to define. This paper looks to three areas for answers, in the hope that these answers will provide a practical guide on thinking through what the public interest might be case by case.
The first is the extensive philosophical literature on the concept. The second is regulatory practice itself, particularly recent regulatory reform efforts that have had to grapple directly with what the public interest means in a new world of technology, environmental threats, and globalized competition. The third is the views of citizens themselves, as they deliberated in a unique process of public consultation summarized in the Canadian Policy Research Networks' (CPRN) study Citizens' Dialogue on Canada's Future.
The first is the extensive philosophical literature on the concept. The second is regulatory practice itself, particularly recent regulatory reform efforts that have had to grapple directly with what the public interest means in a new world of technology, environmental threats, and globalized competition. The third is the views of citizens themselves, as they deliberated in a unique process of public consultation summarized in the Canadian Policy Research Networks' (CPRN) study Citizens' Dialogue on Canada's Future.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2004 |
| Externally published | Yes |