Big corporations and big government often work together in ways that hurt small businesses and regular Americans. When government grows, it creates rules that big companies can handle but smaller ones can’t. This lets the giants crush competition and control markets.

Rules like strict minimum wage laws sound good, but they’re a trap. Amazon pushes for a $15 minimum wage because it can afford robots, while mom-and-pop shops can’t. This drives small businesses under, leaving Amazon with less competition. Taxi medallion systems and banking regulations like Dodd-Frank do the same—only big players survive.

Politicians claim regulations protect us, but lobbyists for corporations often draft them. For example, Citigroup tweaked banking laws to allow taxpayer bailouts for risky swaps, benefiting themselves while taxpayers foot the bill. K Street lobbyists use “shadow lobbying” to create fake public outcries, pressuring lawmakers to pass corporate-friendly policies.

This isn’t new. During the Progressive Era, steel magnates like Andrew Carnegie begged for government control to stifle rivals. Railroads lobbied for Interstate Commerce Commission rules to lock in their dominance. Even FDR’s New Deal had corporate backers who saw it as a way to stabilize their industries.

When big business and big government partner up, you get higher prices, fewer choices, and lost jobs. Big Pharma uses patents and FDA rules to keep drug prices high. Tech giants like Google and Facebook lobby for privacy laws that they can easily follow but crush startups. Meanwhile, wages stay flat, and Main Street struggles.

Real capitalism needs less government, not more. Free markets thrive when small businesses can compete without red tape. Cutting taxes, slashing regulations, and breaking up monopolies would restore fairness. When government stops picking winners, innovation and competition return—and the best companies win without cronyism.