Government regulators seem to start with the idea that individuals cannot be trusted with small decisions. To overcome the inability of the average person to think about the right way to do something, regulators write detailed rules. Those rules are intended to describe the appropriate response in any scenario.

In California, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act with Regulations and Related Statutes is a 554-page document. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control clarifies the law with advisories and other information that would print out to be hundreds of additional pages.

Medical schools seem to take a different approach. The textbook "Essentials of Neurosurgery" is only 402 pages. Brain surgeons are trusted to use their judgment and the textbook explains only the techniques rather than detailing how to respond to every possible scenario.

California's liquor laws are, of course, just one example of modern legislation that runs hundreds or thousands of pages. Laws include everything a legislative staffer can think of as noteworthy. Unfortunately, staffers have limited experience and can't think of every possible real-world situation.

Medical schools understand they cannot foresee the different real-world situations a brain surgeon will encounter. They provide basic knowledge and guidelines. They depend on the individual surgeon to apply the appropriate techniques to achieve the desired outcome.

Detailed legislation is likely to hurt the economy in the long run by stifling innovation. It could even be possible that a California bartender should be given less detail about how to do their job than a brain surgeon.