Although the additional regulation in states like California may invite comparison with the likewise highly regulated Chinese system, the paths taken to enact those regulations are very different and that difference matters doesn't it?
In California, we put these regulations onto ourselves through the vote because a majority of us think they will lead to better living (sometimes we are wrong). Because those regulations usually do not materially abrogate the rights of others as enshrined in the US and CA constitutions they often stand the test of time.
And the regulations exist at our pleasure -- if at some point they become too onerous, we can fairly easily elect leaders to dissolve them. You have seen this with our drug laws, which are more lax than most states because stricter laws served us poorly. Government for and by the governed.
In contrast the Chinese system is not realistically a government for and by the governed, but rather a government for the purpose of maintaining control, harmony, and the peace in that order.
In California, we put these regulations onto ourselves through the vote because a majority of us think they will lead to better living (sometimes we are wrong). Because those regulations usually do not materially abrogate the rights of others as enshrined in the US and CA constitutions they often stand the test of time.
And the regulations exist at our pleasure -- if at some point they become too onerous, we can fairly easily elect leaders to dissolve them. You have seen this with our drug laws, which are more lax than most states because stricter laws served us poorly. Government for and by the governed.
In contrast the Chinese system is not realistically a government for and by the governed, but rather a government for the purpose of maintaining control, harmony, and the peace in that order.