They claim that clarity and precision aren't mutually exclusive options. Many organizations and lawyers have, in fact, translated complex subjects into plain English with no loss of accuracy. And agencies have been cutting down on administrative costs, too. In the 1970s, when CB radios were at the height of their popularity, the FCC rewrote regulations concerning their use in plain English. The number of calls from people confused by the rules dropped so dramatically that the agency was able to reassign all give people who had been fielding questions full time.
Plain language is the result of deliberate writing and editing decisions.
Sometimes an organization or individual may even communicate unclearly on purpose. When that happens, there's a deeper problem that guidelines alone can't solve. The quality of writing improves only when there are rewards for using recognizable language and alienating or numbing language is rigorously edited. Even if an organization supports the idea of plain language, changing the way employees think, work, and write can be difficult. Some experts fear that government agencies may try to comply with the letter of the plain language directive with as little effort and money as possible.