Some statists regulate markets into inefficiency, then other statists use the inefficiency as justification for more regulation. Yet other statists use crony ca

Some statists regulate markets into inefficiency, then other statists use the inefficiency as justification for more regulation. Yet other statists use crony capitalism as justification for giving the state more power, as if the problem of crony capitalism was one with capitalism itself rather than the state having too much power already! The statists don't necessarily do this in a coordinated, conscious or intentional way. Most of them sincerely believe that regulation is for the best. As electors their vote has an infinitesimal chance of being decisive, so the cost to them of having irrational beliefs about politics is negligible. Simultaneously they have preferences over beliefs. Whether having beliefs similar to those of people they want to associate with, loyalty to a political ideology or signaling moral qualities, when the political influence of any person in a large electorate is so small people will have irrational beliefs. Good law in a democracy is a positive externality. Desirable policies benefit everyone but their private benefit to an individual is small even if the individual is altruistic. Government is supposed to resolve market failures, but it itself is the sole reason they exist.