This volume collects a set of important articles that provides a wealth of broad insights into the causes and consequences of regulation. They show beyond doubt that this field of study is remarkably lively and filled with controversy. The first two parts of the book introduce the essential economic content of the issues that regulation deals with, covering the main 'market failures' that are addressed, and then turning specifically to the causes and consequences of regulation in these areas. The next section presents a series of papers dealing with various phases of the policy life cycle, and the concluding part investigates the role of corporate self-regulation.