overregulating
Too many rules
Overregulating is imposing excessive rules or restrictions, typically by government on business or industry.
The term carries a critical stance—it assumes regulation has crossed from helpful to burdensome: Critics say the EPA is overregulating small farms.
What counts as overregulating depends on one's view of how much regulation is appropriate.
Bureaucratic obstacles to action
- paperworkAdministrative written tasks
- regulatorsEntities enforcing compliance
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- government agenciesState-run administrative bodies
compliance officers · inspectors · auditors · permits · licenses · approvals · filings · documentation
Oppressively hot and close
- impedimentThing that obstructs progress
- obstacleSomething blocking the way
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- constraintLimiting condition or rule
bottleneck · burden · hampering · curtailment · suppression · choking · smothering · strangling
Factors blocking market access
- inefficiencySuboptimal use of resources
- unintended consequencesUnanticipated outcomes of actions
- protectionismShielding local producers
- monopolizationGaining exclusive market control
job losses · outsourcing · black market · underground economy
red tape
Bureaucratic obstacles to action
- paperworkAdministrative written tasks
- regulatorsEntities enforcing compliance
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
government agencies · compliance officers · inspectors · auditors · permits · licenses · approvals · filings · documentation · certifications
stifling
Oppressively hot and close
- impedimentThing that obstructs progress
- obstacleSomething blocking the way
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
constraint · bottleneck · burden · hampering · curtailment · suppression · choking · smothering · strangling · throttling
barriers to entry
Factors blocking market access
- inefficiencySuboptimal use of resources
- unintended consequencesUnanticipated outcomes of actions
- protectionismShielding local producers
monopolization · job losses · outsourcing · black market · underground economy
overregulatingunderregulating
Imposing insufficient official controls
deregulating · liberalizing · laissez-faire · hands-off · unregulated