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penrod | 12 years ago

It is not just that large companies are more efficient at dealing with regulation; Large companies actively lobby for regulation as a way of protecting themselves from (smaller) potential competitors.

It may be that regulation for the public good is inevitable and desirable, but one cannot assume a priori than any particular regulation exists for that reason.

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rayiner|12 years ago

I don't think, on the net, large companies lobby for regulation more than they lobby against regulation.

penrod|12 years ago

Appeal to authority and all that, but..

"the pressure on the legislature to license an occupation rarely comes from the members of the public . . . On the contrary, the pressure invariably comes from the occupation itself."

Milton Friedman

"…as a rule, regulation is acquired by the industry and is designed and operated primarily for its benefits."

George Stigler