I think you have a good point, especially about regulations being a way for businesses to build a moat around their money making enterprises. However, it's not

I think you have a good point, especially about regulations being a way for businesses to build a moat around their money making enterprises. However, it's not like eliminating "big government" is the cure either. All it does is change the focus of activity from national regulations to courts, and local governments, and even other forms of quasi-legal action. Business activities in the 19th century "lassez faire" era are what caused these regulatory bodies to be put in place in the first place. At least with modern legislature, we can find out who is doing what through the public record, can push back if they try to go too far, and don't have to worry about businesses hiring "private security" to settle their differences instead.