re aching ▁government ▁reg ulations ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁have ▁been ▁created . ▁For ▁example , ▁science - based ▁reg ulations ▁are ▁critical ▁to ▁modern ▁programs ▁for ▁environmental ▁protection , ▁food ▁safety , ▁and ▁work place ▁safety . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁growth ▁in ▁reg ulations ▁has ▁fue led ▁criticism ▁that ▁the ▁rule making ▁process ▁reduces ▁the ▁trans par ency ▁and ▁account ability ▁of ▁dem ocr atic ▁government . ▁ ▁Introduction ▁Legisl atures ▁rely ▁on ▁rule making ▁to ▁add ▁more ▁detailed ▁scientific , ▁economic , ▁or ▁industry ▁expert ise ▁to ▁a ▁policy — f les hing ▁out ▁the ▁bro ader ▁mand ates ▁of ▁author izing ▁legisl ation . ▁ ▁For ▁example , ▁typically ▁a ▁legisl ature ▁would ▁pass ▁a ▁law ▁mand ating ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁safe ▁drink ing ▁water ▁standards , ▁and ▁then ▁assign ▁an ▁ag ency ▁to ▁develop ▁the ▁list ▁of ▁cont amin ants ▁and ▁safe ▁levels ▁through ▁rule making . ▁ ▁The ▁rise ▁of ▁the ▁rule making ▁process ▁itself ▁is ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁political ▁controvers y . ▁Many ▁find ▁that ▁obsc ure ▁and ▁complex ▁rule making ▁tends ▁to ▁under cut ▁the ▁dem ocr atic ▁ideal ▁of ▁a ▁government ▁that ▁is ▁closely ▁watched ▁by ▁and ▁account able ▁to ▁its ▁citizens . ▁ ▁Pur poses ▁Although ▁executive ▁ag encies ▁are ▁usually ▁charged ▁with ▁executing , ▁not ▁prom ul g ating ▁a ▁regul atory ▁scheme , ▁the ▁bread th ▁and ▁depth ▁of ▁reg ulation ▁today ▁rend ers ▁it ▁difficult , ▁if ▁not ▁impossible , ▁for ▁legisl atures ▁to ▁specify ▁the ▁details