Every nation needs a unifying idea. Americans love to see themselves as champions of free markets and entrepreneurial zeal — and have long been more welcoming to entrepreneurs than has most of the western world.
But the 2008 financial crisis tarnished America’s self-image (with, for example, the eyesore of state support for mortgages[LINK? FIGURE?]). The entrepreneurial halo is starting to slip, too, since increasing quantities of red tape are making life harder for start-ups, relative both to the past and to the rest of the world.
Take a look at a striking report issued by the White House this week on occupational licensing, the rules that force workers to obtain qualifications to do certain jobs. Five decades ago, occupational licences were required only in specialist arenas such as nursing[SUCH AS?]. But, in recent years they have proliferated so dramatically that a quarter of all American workers must secure one from individual states. Sometimes this is justified: airline pilots need licences. But often, as in the three years of training needed to become a security guard in Michigan or the thousands of hours required for hairdressers in Utah, the rationale is less clear.