President Donald Trump’s first 100 days are in the books.

The southern border is effectively shut down, violent gang members have been deported, and the first steps in tackling the federal debt and administrative state are underway.

One very important part of making bureaucracy leaner and more efficient is deregulation. It’s a term often bandied about by Republican politicians, but most Americans don’t seem to truly understand just how much regulations cost, how they gum up the cogs in the federal wheel, and how difficult it is to get rid of them once they’re in place.

Federal regulations exist across many federal departments and agencies. Therefore, navigating the complex web of policies and mandates is why it takes so long to construct a bridge, start a business, or innovate in various industries.

“The Code of Federal Regulations is over 188,000 pages long, guaranteeing that citizens can never really be sure they comply with every regulation,” writes economic analyst Veronique de Rugy. “While the stated intent of many rules is to protect the public interest — be it the environment, safety, or market fairness — the unintended consequences are often staggering. Regulations frequently impose costs far beyond their benefits, stifling entrepreneurship and innovation while hampering businesses’ ability to produce at full potential, hire workers, or provide consumers with what we need.”

It’s a price we all pay but think about little. When the prices of eggs and other consumer goods went through the roof earlier this year, there was national outrage. But Americans have paid hundreds of billions of dollars over the years due to government regulation that goes unnoticed by the masses.

Just take housing prices as one example. A 2021 study conducted by the National Association of Home Builders found, “Regulations imposed by all levels of government account for $93,870, or 23.8% of the current average sales price ($397,300) of a new single-family home, according to a new study by NAHB. Of the $93,870 figure, $41,330 is attributable to regulation during development, and $52,540 is due to regulation during construction.”

Manufacturing also takes a big financial hit due to regulations. A 2022 study by the National Association of Manufacturers found, “The total cost of federal regulations in 2022 is an estimated $3.079 trillion (in 2023 dollars), an amount equal to 12% of U.S. GDP.” Furthermore, “The total annual cost of complying with federal regulations has risen by $465 billion since 2012.”

Regulations vary from one presidential administration to the next, but it’s clear that Republicans are more likely to push for greater government efficiency. President Trump actually started the process back in 2016. “In his first term, President Trump made significant reforms to the regulatory process,” according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Perhaps most notably, he imposed a regulatory budget on the federal agencies that capped the amount of economic costs each executive agency’s rules could impose on the economy.” During the Biden administration, “with the focus no longer on containing regulatory costs, costs exploded,” the Chamber adds. “In four years, the Biden administration issued approximately 1,200 regulations with cumulative costs in excess of $1.8 trillion.”

Trump has made some inroads regarding deregulation, but Congress has most of the power. Fortunately, this time around, the Trump administration is taking bold measures to continue where it left off.

Recently, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency “will undertake 31 historic actions in the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history, to advance President Trump’s Day One executive orders and Power the Great American Comeback.” Many of the actions include eliminating regulations that have directly hindered gas and oil production, as well as Environmental Justice and DEI programs, which empower agency officials to place burdens on our national energy capabilities.

Other steps the Trump administration took during his first term and pledges to continue this time include reforming the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal government agencies to consider the environmental impact of their decisions. Democrats have decried any regulatory reform as a threat to our environment, but in reality, the environment was just a way to make NEPA seem like a good idea. However, “the 50-year-old act could be repealed without any adverse effects,” The Heritage Foundation wrote back in 2020. “There are dozens of other federal and state regulations that protect water and air quality, wetlands, and endangered species, and that control run-off, hazardous waste, construction debris, demolition dust, and every other potential byproduct of infrastructure improvements.” Heritage adds, “The NEPA’s expansive reach presents virtually endless opportunities for bureaucratic wrangling and judicial interference. Green activists exploit judicial review of NEPA procedures to delay or prevent highway, pipeline, electricity transmission, water resource, and broadband upgrades, among other projects.”

It’s apparent how federal regulations touch so many aspects of our society, and it’s vital that Americans and their elected officials rein in the power of government agencies.

Government deregulation is arguably one of the most pressing issues facing our country. The extent to which the Trump administration and the Republican Congress can weed out federal regulations will have a direct impact on American energy production, construction, manufacturing, and economic prosperity.