race to the bottom
Mutually assured deterioration
A race to the bottom is competition that degrades standards rather than improving them.
The phrase typically describes jurisdictions lowering regulations, taxes, or wages to attract business, or companies cutting quality to offer the lowest price.
The logic is self-defeating: everyone loses by winning.
Critics warned the trade deal would spark a race to the bottom on environmental protections.
Removing governmental business restrictions
- outsourcingThird-party task delegation
- tax breaksReductions in owed levies
- tariffsTaxes on imports
- subsidiesFinancial aid from government
undercutting · cost-cutting · offshoring · sweatshop · exploitation · competition · globalization · corporate welfare
Offering less than rivals
- price warCompeting via discounts
- cutthroatViciously competitive or murderous
- one-upmanshipQuest to surpass others
- rivalryOngoing contest between opponents
vying · outcompeting · bidding war · lowest bidder · market share · commoditization · discounting · predatory pricing
Process of declining quality
- degradationDecline in condition
- erosionGradual wearing away
- worseningBecoming more severe
- downward spiralSelf-reinforcing deterioration
collapse · devaluation · slump · descent · demise · regression · plunge · decay
deregulation
Removing governmental business restrictions
- outsourcingThird-party task delegation
- tax breaksReductions in owed levies
- tariffsTaxes on imports
subsidies · undercutting · cost-cutting · offshoring · sweatshop · exploitation · competition · globalization · corporate welfare · trade war
underbidding
Offering less than rivals
- price warCompeting via discounts
- cutthroatViciously competitive or murderous
- one-upmanshipQuest to surpass others
rivalry · vying · outcompeting · bidding war · lowest bidder · market share · commoditization · discounting · predatory pricing
deterioration
Process of declining quality
- degradationDecline in condition
- erosionGradual wearing away
- worseningBecoming more severe
downward spiral · collapse · devaluation · slump · descent · demise · regression · plunge · decay · downfall
- competition metaphorslevel playing field, win-win, front runner, underdog, dark horse
- Competition idiomslevel playing field, down to the wire, neck and neck, win hands down, come from behind
race to the bottomrace to the top
Contest for supremacy
upward spiral · virtuous cycle · raising the bar · leveling up · gold-plating
race, races, raced, racer, racers, bottom, bottoms, bottomed, bottoming