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Environmental and Labor Regulation

Environmental and Labor Regulation:

The Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century brought profound changes to the American landscape. The US population became increasingly urbanized, as workers moved from farm to factory and as immigrants arrived in large numbers. Industry also became more concentrated in urban areas. Capitalists, taking advantage of economies of scale, developed larger enterprises, and the demand for labor and raw materials increased accordingly (Fine, 8).

In the nineteenth century, government generally did not regulate the environmental and labor practices of capitalists. However, as the twentieth century dawned, pressure increased for government to institute reforms in the manufacturing sector. Known today as the Progressives, early reformers brought attention to the plight of urban workers as well as the need to protect the environment from permanent harm (Fine, 13).

Today there is a consensus that environmental and labor regulations are necessary. However, it is important to remember how and why those rules came about when looking at contemporary environmental and labor regulation, because the government is continuing to try to balance the rights of capitalists to pursue profit with citizens' desire for a livable society (Fine, 17).

The federal government, divided into three branches, has pursued reforms in a variety of ways. The legislative branch (Congress) has passed certain laws regulating labor and the environment, such as the Clean Air Act, minimum wage laws, and child labor legislation. Congress has also established various agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (1970) and the Department of Labor (1913) to oversee environmental and labor conditions. Those agencies, which are part of the executive branch, have been enabled by Congress to make specific rules to ensure that individuals and corporations obey federal law. This process is known as rulemaking. Finally, the ju...

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Environmental and Labor Regulation. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 00:58, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1688658.html