Law modifies the costs of action. Stealing might appear more beneficial than working. But if I get my hands cut upon stealing, then working appears more beneficial.
When a law modifies the cost of actions to include externalities, it is eucivic. If killing is punished, then cost of the action (death of the victim) is included in the price of action (punishment). If it does not, it distorts the cost of real actions.
The actions of men become suboptimal, they feel they must pay (not only economically) more to reach their ends than what could be. They contest law, law becomes illegitimate.
However, when facing such a dysfunction, lawmakers can accuse law, or the market (of actions). That is, the market needs even more regulations. Actions become even more dysfunctional, and so on.
Moreover, in democratic societies, new bills must be marketed. How do we call marketing for power? Ideology. Ideology must support an always more distorted vision of life, with the inflation of law.