How Many Are Too Few? Analyzing the Diversity of Regulatory Options Considered in Brazilian RIAs

Por: Natasha Salinas

Flávio Saab

Lucas Thevenard

A study analyzing RIAs conducted by Brazilian federal regulatory agencies revealed that, in many cases, only one or two regulatory alternatives were evaluated. Moreover, the status quo option (doing nothing) was frequently excluded from the analysis. This pattern suggests that RIA may often serve as a mere procedural formality, used primarily to validate pre-determined decisions—thereby diminishing its effectiveness. In light of this finding, the study proposes an empirical research agenda to investigate how the number of alternatives evaluated in an RIA influences its overall quality.