Regulations are usually the result of public outcry.
They have addressed that a problem does exist and a regulation is going to be enforced in order to end the problem. When local, and Federal governments step in and make new regulations, the problem must be very big and widespread. Many people are usually affected, and they join together to pass legislation to end the problem. A recent example of public outcry is in a past IGE class, my instructor Prof. Deborah Meadows asked the class if they would sign a petition to stop the clearing of forest in our local mountains, an area where she has a house. I signed the petition and later received information telling me where I could write to other government agencies about the cutting down of these forests.