This question is the very reason I posted this under Meetings instead of as a policy proposal.
I don’t have a direct answer for that. Nor do I think there is a very clear one. Above, I state the following:
Horizontal Expansion, could be described as single line of products/services that expands overtly in availability, and limits the opportunity of new and budding business. (as in, chain restaurants, chain retail, food packaging/production companies, etc.)
Vertical Expansion, could be described as a multitude of products/services that expands overtly in availability, and limits the opportunity of new and budding business. (as in, mass product shipping companies, chain super stores, chain convenience stores, etc.)
Businesses like Casey’s, Walmart, 7-Eleven, Target suck up profit and business availability in our local communities. You want to start a pizza place? Oh wait, Pizza Hut and Casey’s can outcompete you without even competing with each other. You want to start a boutique? Oh-Walmart, Target, and Amazon can outcompete you. Business opportunity is dead with extreme multi-national vertical and horizantal business models.
My first thought is legislation limiting the horizontal and vertical expansion of such business within the US. But, there are some major issues with this; having to do with equal opportunity to the market, and federal involvement in local business. How would we create legislation that protects the People’s liberties and opportunities from conglomerate entities?
Here are some issues I see with the entire concept.
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Direct limitations of business within the US could be perceived as overinvolvement in local business, and the lives of citizens.
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Granting the government the ability to break up business based on vague definition of ‘expansion’ could create a snowball effect in terms of government abuse of power.
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Capping the growth of a business limits the opportunity for People to succeed; achieve the American Dream (which I personally view as equal opportunity.)
There needs to be such a solution that creates-don’t quote me on this-a new tax bracket (or some type of financial dissuasion) for multi-regional and multi-national businesses to expand. Much like how tariffs would work for protecting fair prices for imports to the US market.
Foreign power raises prices → US establishes tariff to dissuade the US market from Foreign products/encourage US production of said products → US market uses US-made-products or Foreign power makes fair trade deal.
Businesses that want to expand interregionally or internationally need a reason not to expand. If you were Walmart, why wouldn’t you outcompete/replace every single grocery store in the US? There needs to be financial incentive to not expand within the US. This could even be done at the State level, but occasionally a couple businesses make up the entire revenue of a State’s income.
OR
If a business model like McDonald’s is wanting to expand internationally, maybe local ownership of the individualized locations could become official. No one would want the government to bust up their business just cause; require businesses to expand and sell their assets.
It’s a whole new business model. I start a pizza place, work on expanding locations → Create ‘sunset clause franchisee’ locations (as a business expands, their separate locations only function as a subsidiary for the amount of time it would take them to become independently run, funded, and paid for.)
Rather than me expanding exponentially, owning everything in a game of monopoly; the expansion of my business would yield new industry growth, healthy competitiveness, new opportunities for upcoming business owners, and protect the personal growth of my own income (through renovation of new locations/selling off established locations) without overexpansion.
Walmart should stay in Rogers, AR; McDonald’s should stay in San Bernardino, CA. Not every town in the US. Your super store should be a locally owned one, your burger place should be a locally owned one.
There are a LOT of specifics to get into when it comes to other types of business like banks and hospitals. Thus the reason this is a discussion instead of a policy proposal. 