I think I finally have the solution that can help business and people in the US from a political perspective. And its blindly obvious, proposed many times by others but generally ignored. However, the real beneficiary is also the group that can make it happen. Reduce the governance of the federal government, put the emphasis on state government and business will reap the benefits.
Business has always wanted a larger federal government because it made intrastate commerce easier by leveling the ‘playing field’ across the country. One set of laws to follow and reduce the tax complexity for business transactions. Hell, business wants no tax, but that won’t happen simply because there is a government. However the federal government seen as a unifying force is really a determent in that it reduces the states ability to govern its own people in a method that its own people want. And to the same point, business cannot make their local needs known to the government if it always has to work at the federal level. People obviously benefit because the laws are more in tune with the needs of the people in the state.
Of course, the more cynical of you would see that business would have a better edge manipulating the government at the local level, and there could be some truth to that. However, being a smaller and local government with more authority versus the larger lumbering federal government, enacting change based on the will of the people will be easier simply because its a smaller government… and it can act in more of a nimble way. Thus, if business is acting against the betterment of the people, the people have an easier (and quicker) method to respond. In turn, business will learn to interact better with people local to their community, and from doing just that, reap the rewards financially.
Over-reaching federal laws are simply a hindrance, and the massive size of the federal government does not require helping at the local level other then the appearance of usefulness. (FEMA? Pulling in national guard troops to fight in Iraq?) Move much of the current governance enacted at the federal level to the state, and you will see business and the people benefit.