In a nation founded on liberty and limited government, it is staggering that no one, not Congress, not the Department of Justice, not even legal scholars, knows how many federal crimes exist. Estimates suggest over 5,000 federal statutes and more than 300,000 regulatory offenses are embedded within the Code of Federal Regulations. This isn’t just a matter of volume. It’s erosion: of justice, liberty, and public trust. Overcriminalization is a direct threat to the rule of law and the constitutional guarantees at the core of American democracy.
Alaska reflects this crisis. Its legal code contains an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 crimes ranging from fisheries violations to licensing infractions. Many carry criminal penalties disconnected from public harm or moral wrongdoing. The result is a system that punishes ordinary behavior, overwhelms individuals with unknowable obligations, and expands government power far beyond reason.
This burden extends to local regulation. In Anchorage, municipal ordinances add layers of cost and complexity to everyday life. Title 21 of the Anchorage Municipal Code, which governs land use and development, imposes dense zoning, aesthetic, and safety standards that far exceed those in the neighboring Mat-Su Borough. While Mat-Su offers flexibility, Anchorage mandates exhaustive reviews, costly inspections, and rigid design requirements. Property owners with wells and septic systems face high compliance costs, often for marginal or redundant benefits. These rules act as hidden taxes and barriers to entry, driving up living costs and deepening public disillusionment with government…