This is one of the overlooked aspects of government growth. The only system I can think of that would negate the very human tendency to make increasing regulations is to put a time limit on each law - say, 10 years. If you want that law in effect, you have to pass it again from scratch 10 years from now.

Then you are left with the problem of retroactively timing out all of the old laws in small enough chunks not to cause chaos.

Jan, stole idea from ancient Icelandic law

I first noticed this trend in the mid 70's when I went to the public library and looked at the shelf with the federal register. You could physically see how fast the regulation was growing by how much bigger each year's books were than the previous one.

A quote that kind of fits:

“. . . Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew/ And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true/ That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four/ And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more. “As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man/ There are only four things certain since Social Progress began./ That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,/ And the burnt Fool’s bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire; “And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins/ When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,/ As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,/ The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!” —Rudyard Kipling, “The Gods of the Copybook Headings,” 1919

I think I just read or heard that America is now 46th on the list of best countries to be in business.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCsQ7VOr...