"One school of thought in the literature on regulatory competition in environmental and consumer policy argues that inter-jurisdictional competition promotes regulatory laxity. The other highlights rent-seeking as a major driving force, implying that regulatory, laxity is rare because rent-seeking is omnipresent."
Source: Bernauer, T., and L. Caduff. 2004. ‘In Whose Interest? Pressure Group Politics, Economic Competition and Environmental Regulation’. Journal of Public Policy 24 (1): 99–126. doi:10.1017/S0143814X04000054.