I would like to make the distinction between law and regulation. Laws are passed by Congress and are part of the US Code. Regulations are created by the numerous regulatory bodies by unelected officials that we have not given authority to make rules that affect our lives. I believe that we should reject/ignore all regulations as we are only bound by laws passed by Congress.
But, the Jones Act is a proper law that tried to force a desired outcome when a better solution would have been to reduce regulation to make US flagged vessels competitive in a global market.
> I believe that we should reject/ignore all regulations as we are only bound by laws passed by Congress.
Wouldn't this be self-contradictory if a law passed by Congress tells you to follow regulations that are put in place by some unelected officials?
If someone has the power, he also has the power to delegate. I'm not 100% sure about US, but usually that's what parliaments do in regards to regulations and ministries — politicians delegate to subject matter professionals.
> Wouldn't this be self-contradictory if a law passed by Congress tells you to follow regulations that are put in place by some unelected officials?
Which is in fact generally the case. Congress passes a law that creates a regulatory agency and says what things they have power to regulate.
> If someone has the power, he also has the power to delegate. I'm not 100% sure about US, but usually that's what parliaments do in regards to regulations and ministries — politicians delegate to subject matter professionals.
Same in the US, with some limits which are described reasonably well in this [1] Wikipedia article.
The problem is that regulatory bodies are part of the executive branch. Regulations they create are law in all but name. The executive branch does not have authority to create law. This is an abdication of authority, not delegation.
The US Code is ~60k pages. The Federal Register is ~220k pages. Both carry the full force of law with criminal and financial penalties.
But, the Jones Act is a proper law that tried to force a desired outcome when a better solution would have been to reduce regulation to make US flagged vessels competitive in a global market.