Universal vs Competitive Rules

The article distinguishes rules that apply equally to all (universal) from rules that inherently create winners and losers (competitive), like rent control shifting income from landlords to tenants. It argues people justify competitive rules with moral talk rather than admitting material interests. This lens separates coordination norms from distributional fights. — Reframing policy debates through this dichotomy clarifies when arguments are about fairness for all versus resource transfers between groups, improving honesty and design in law and governance.