The Sarbanes-Oxley Debacle: What We've Learned; How to Fix it

Abstract

This Abstract introduces the authors' new book, The Sarbanes-Oxley Debacle: What We've Learned; How to Fix It (The AEI Press 2006). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 ("SOX") is a colossal failure, poorly conceived and hastily enacted during a regulatory panic. Everyone now concedes that the direct compliance costs of SOX have been much greater than anticipated. While that alone should give any serious policy analyst pause, the Act's defenders press the case that SOX was worth its problems. This book demonstrates that the supporters are wrong in their assessment: Both logic and evidence make it clear that SOX was a costly mistake.

JEL Classification: K20, K22, K34, K42, L51