Analytical perspectives in the study of regulatory policies

Abstract

The discussion of regulatory capture is not recent in state studies. However, the criteria to identify capture and the definition of the research protocols to demonstrate and measure the phenomenon have still not reached a consensus. This article carries out a non-exhaustive literature review to identify the main regulatory capture strategies and their respective measurement methods. We organize the regulation studies in four axes of regulatory capture strategies: capture by material incentives, capture by immaterial incentives, capture by threat, and capture by information asymmetry. Furthermore, the study examines the Brazilian case and discusses the contradictory results of recent research on the case of the National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS). We identified that, in general, Brazilian literature starts from a broad approach to understanding regulatory capture. Also, the studies adopt a restrictive approach mainly to explore the “revolving door” mechanism, following a trend in international literature but ignoring other mechanisms with explanatory potential. These findings have implications for research designs in studies of regulation in order to advance analyses beyond initial impressions and toward robust empirical research.