Regulation of business in America is defined by an enduring political conflict between the interests of workers and the interests of businesses. Legislators’ fear of upsetting the business community disincentivizes them from increasing enforcement of labor laws, causing the playing field to be tipped further in favor of employers and leading to stagnation or the defanging of government enforcement of protections. The resulting lax enforcement of regulations reduces labor laws to toothless recommendations, weakening the rule of law in America particularly with respect to business behavior.