Rules Punish the Compliant

Local policies and cumulative regulation can make law‑abiding actions (like legally disposing of waste or running small businesses) costly and slow, producing incentives to flout rules. That combination creates a practical two‑tier system where informal rule‑breaking becomes the low‑cost option and official compliance becomes a burden. — If correct, this shifts debates from abstract crime statistics to how regulation and enforcement design shape civic behaviour and legitimacy.