How to judge whether deregulation is going too far

CONSPIRACY theorists who support President Donald Trump fulminate against the so-called “deep state” that is trying to thwart him. The federal bureaucracy of Washington, they believe, is the main source of resistance. But this claim exaggerates the influence of bureaucrats and fails to do justice to Mr Trump’s achievements. The president may not have repealed Obamacare or passed tax reform, but he has overseen, as he promised, a historic slowdown in rule-writing by federal agencies. Since Mr Trump’s inauguration, the flow of new rules has slowed by about 60% (see ).