A wave of deregulation began in which decade?

• A. 1980s
• B. 1960s
• C. 1990s
• D. 1970s

Answer: (A)

Deregulation means reducing government rules on industries to boost competition and efficiency. In the United States, a broad wave of deregulation took hold in the 1980s, driven by a shift toward market-based policies and a belief that competition would lower costs and spur innovation. During that decade, policymakers rolled back controls in several major sectors—airlines, telecommunications, and energy—leading to a rapidly changing regulatory landscape and more competitive markets. While some steps toward deregulation began earlier (for example, airline deregulation groundwork was laid in the late 1970s), the 1980s mark the period when this multi-sector push really took off.