Laws are what have to follow. Regulations are how we follow the laws (I honestly forgot where I saw that).
The Federal Register. Published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. It is freely available from the govinfo database (1994-present) in two formats, one being the "traditional" daily issue (albeit electronically) and a friendlier Federal Register 2.0 version. This publication is also available via NMU's subscription to Westlaw (1981-present). A more detailed explanation of what is in this publication and how it is organized can be found here.
The Code of Federal Regulations. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) annual edition is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. The electronic version is updated often. Each title is divided into chapters, which usually bear the name of the issuing agency. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts that cover specific regulatory areas. Large parts may be subdivided into subparts. All parts are organized in sections, and most citations in the CFR are provided at the section level. The CFR is freely available from the Govinfo database (1996 to present), and via NMU's subscription through Westlaw. A more detailed explanation of what is in this publication and how it is organized can be found here.
List of CFR Sections Affected. The List of CFR Sections Affected (LSA) lists proposed, new, and amended Federal regulations that have been published in the Federal Register since the most recent revision date of a Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) title. Each LSA issue is cumulative and contains the CFR part and section numbers, a description of its status (e.g., amended, confirmed, revised), and the Federal Register page number where the change(s) may be found. Available via the Government Publishing Office (1997-present). The LSA is issued monthly; however, the LSA also contains three supplemental services:
CFR Parts Affected from the Federal Register. Search for Last 24 hours, Last Week, or Last Month..
The Unified Agenda. The Unified Agenda (also known as the Semiannual Regulatory Agenda), published twice a year (usually in April and October) in the Federal Register (FR), summarizes the rules and proposed rules that each Federal agency expects to issue during the next year. Available from the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and the Government Publishing Office (for older versions). A more detailed explanation of the Unified Agenda can be found here. Each agency's website most likely has announcements of rule changes and an explanation of the rule making process within that agency. A search in USA.gov for "The Rulemaking Process" will return federal (and state) resources.
Executive Branch Resources from the Library of Congress.
Regulations.gov. A resource created in 2003 for the public to easily search for proposed regulations and comment on them. You can sign up for alerts about a specific regulation and subscribe to RSS feeds by agency of newly posted Federal Register notices.
RegInfo.gov. Complimentary to Regulations.gov, but aimed more at federal government agencies. Available here is their RegMap, a chart showing the informal rule making process.
Government Accountability Office reports on Federal Agency Major Rules. The Government Accountability Office provides a report to the Committees of Jurisdiction of both houses of Congress on major rules proposed by Federal Agencies within 15 days of the receipt of a copy of the rule at the Government Accountability Office or publication in the Federal Register, whichever is later. The reports on this website are in letter format and are arranged by date of issuance, most recent first.
Congressional Research Service, the research arm of Congress. These reports (CRS Reports) provide a background for upcoming/proposed legislation or a current topic of interest. There is no one, single source for them. The Dudley Knox Library has a webpage listing where these reports are found. Many are now increasingly available in the Catalog of Government Publications.
The U.S. Government Manual. The official handbook of the federal government. Appendix C lists those agencies appearing in the Code of Federal Regulations. Available online or in print. USA.gov has an A-Z list of departments and agencies--agency specific material can be located via that search engine as well as in the Catalog of Government Publications (run a search for your topic or agency).
Congressional Budget Office. List of publications on regulatory analysis.
USA.gov. The official web portal of the U.S. Government. Search not only federal, but state and local government domains as well.
Michigan Administrative Rules. From the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules. The rulemaking process is described in this powerpoint.
Michigan Register. The comprehensive source of regulatory information that complements and supplements the Michigan Administrative Rules. It contains copies of all proposed administrative rules, notices of public hearings on proposed administrative rules, and administrative rules filed with the secretary of state as submitted by Michigan departments and agencies.
State of Michigan Executive Branch. The Governor, Lt. Governor, and State of Michigan Departments.
There are many think tanks in Michigan. Some major ones: The Mackinac Center "A nonpartisan research and educational institute devoted to improving the quality of life for all Michigan citizens by promoting sound solutions to state and local policy questions", the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR) "applies research to pressing public policy issues and builds problem-solving relationships between the academic and policymaker communities", and the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, which for over 100 years has provided "factual, unbiased independent information on significant issues concerning state and local government organization and finance". Many others are in the state and they are listed here via MSU.
Gongwer News Service. Michigan state government news and political information since 1906. NMU doesn not have a subscription, but you can get a hint at what's happening.
MLive.com--Politics. The political section of "Michigan's Leading Web Site for News, Information and Community Interaction".
Midnight Rule making: Shedding Some Light. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, first session, February 4, 2009.
Rule making process and the unitary executive theory. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, second session, May 6, 2008.
Federal Rule making: Perspectives on 10 Years of Congressional Review Act Implementation. GAO, 2006.
Additional resources can be found in WestlawNext.