 On January 17, 1991, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued to its staff principles of good regulation. The author was NRC Commissioner Kenneth Rogers. He and his staff developed the principles to encourage regulatory excellence and address inadequate performance. I'm Tom Wellock, historian for the NRC. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Principles of Good Regulation. Today, many governments around the world have spelled out a similar set of principles. But the NRC's principles may have been the first. In this video, we will explore where the principles came from, their influence, and how they continue to shape nuclear regulation today. Rogers thought the NRC staff would benefit from a brief set of universal principles, five traits of what a good regulator should be. In the 1960s, critics attacked federal agencies responsible for environmental and safety regulation for being too secretive and too friendly to the industries they regulated. Congress passed dozens of laws to make agencies more independent and transparent. This wave of reform washed over nuclear power regulation, too. The NRC's predecessor, the Atomic Energy Commission, was stung by accusations that it promoted nuclear power rather than protect public safety. The 1974 Energy Policy Act split the AEC to create, in the NRC, a more independent and open regulator. The importance of other regulatory traits became evident, too. 1981 marked a new era of deregulation. President Ronald Reagan took office pledging to make government smaller and more efficient. The NRC had come under fire from supporters of nuclear power, that its regulations were too vague, complex, and inefficient in achieving safety. The NRC responded by deferring to industry-led initiatives in training and operations, and it tried to establish more flexible regulations and clearly defined safety goals. And so by 1989, when Rogers first proposed the principles, the NRC was already balancing its independence with demands that it be an open, efficient, clear, and reliable regulator. So why were the principles needed? Rogers argued that the staff should have consistent guideposts in changing times to remind them of the proven elements of good regulation. Internationally, the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and a Cold War thaw were opening up communication between nuclear safety regulators across the Iron Curtain. Other principles might help in that dialogue. Within days of Rogers' proposal, the Berlin Wall fell. Since then, NRC commissioners have often invoked the principles when addressing international forums, and other countries and international agencies have developed similar regulatory principles. The value of regulatory principles has also been recognized internationally among non-nuclear government organizations and in the private sector for principles of good corporate governance. In 2011, President Obama signed an executive order calling for principles of regulation for federal agencies. Within the NRC, the principles are important to commissioners and staff alike. Independent. Nothing but the highest possible standards of ethical performance and professionalism should influence regulation. Open. Nuclear regulations is the public's business, and it must be transacted publicly and candidly. Efficient. The American taxpayer, the rate-paying customer, and licensees are all entitled to the best possible management and administration of regulatory activities. Clear. Regulations should be coherent, logical, and practical. Reliable. Regulations should be based on the best available knowledge from research and operational experience, and lend stability to the nuclear operational and planning process. Independent. Open. Efficient. Clear. And reliable. Seemingly timeless and general. Each principle was really a specific lesson drawn from recent regulatory experience. Over the years, I've seen how the principles have contributed to making the agency the high-performance organization that it is today. We repeatedly used the principles in driving continuous improvement at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. For example, we used the principles of good regulation in prioritizing rule-makings and other regulatory enhancements. We used the principles in formulating the budget. We used the principles in prioritizing safety improvements in the aftermath of the accident at Fukushima Daiichi. But our stakeholders used the principles in holding the agency accountable. So in reflection, the principles of good regulation have had a positive and significant impact on making the NRC who we are today. And we've seen a positive return on the investment in the leadership of the Commission. The principles have also been valuable reference points for agency critics when they believe the NRC has not measured up to its standards of excellence. The NRC's principles of good regulation serve to communicate much of what Rogers intended. Effective regulation, he said, requires constant and faithful adherence to basic principles to guide the NRC as times change. After 25 years, they are the agency's calling card abroad and touchstones of excellence at home.