Across the nation, more than 30 percent of the workforce requires the government’s permission to work in certain professions. From law to hair braiding, from medicine to plumbing, individuals aren’t free to create values and trade them with willing consumers. Instead, they must undergo useless and expensive training in order to get the state’s permission to earn a living.
Fortunately, the Institute for Justice is leading the fight against rights-violating laws occupational licensing. As one example, it has successfully helped end laws requiring a license to practice hair braiding in twelve states.
While rational people would regard the licensing of hair braiding to be ridiculous, they support licensing for other service providers, such as electricians, plumbers, and doctors. If one goes to a bad hair braider, their appearance will suffer. But if one hires a bad electrician, plumber, or doctor, they could suffer a much worse fate.
It is true that an electrician, plumber, or doctor can do much more harm than a hair braider. So? That isn’t a justification to force individuals to meet the state’s mandates before offering a service. It is a reason for consumers to exercise due diligence before hiring an electrician, plumber, or doctor.
The state’s stamp of approval doesn’t ensure competence. All it ensures is that the individual endured and met whatever arbitrary standards the state established. Individuals should be free to offer whatever services they choose, and consumers should be free to hire whomever they judge to be competent to satisfy their needs and desires.
Occupational licensing implies that consumers can’t make rational choices. And so, the state will limit our choices. Certainly, some consumers make bad decisions, but occupational licensing doesn’t and can’t change that fact. But it does limit the choices available to everyone. It prevents individuals from acting on their own judgment. And like all violations of property rights, preventing individuals from acting as they deem best is the goal of occupational licensing.