Regulators exert a pervasive influence over large swaths of industrial activity. Even where government has sought to rely more heavily on market forces, regulation is nonetheless often omnipresent. This course introduces major theories as well as cases on the role of regulation in modern economies. Examples are drawn mainly from electricity and utilities, oil and gas, telecommunications, food and drugs. The course provides a comprehensive introduction to regulatory oversight of these industries in the U.S. and will address common themes and challenges, such as how regulators contend with their often limited ability to obtain accurate information and the effects of regulation on technological innovation. It examines procedures for public engagement in regulatory decision-making (monitoring, participating, challenging on review), and the relationship between regulators and political authorities. Some attention is given to comparisons with other countries and to the increasingly role of international institutions, such as the World Trade Organization, that constrain the scope and style of national regulation.