Final answer:
Language is not a legal-political factor but more of a cultural barrier, whereas government takeovers, laws and regulations, political risk, and trade mechanisms like tariffs are legal-political factors. Barriers to entry can be government-enforced, like taxi license controls, or market-created, like economies of scale.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question you've asked pertains to legal-political factors that can affect the international business environment. Among the options you've provided, language is not typically considered a legal-political factor. Instead, language is more of a cultural and communication barrier that can impact business operations but does not fall under the realm of legal-political constraints, which are more concerned with governmental actions, laws, and policies that influence international trade and investment. Legal-political factors include issues like government takeovers, legislation governing business activities, political risk, and formal trade mechanisms such as tariffs, quotas, and taxes. These factors can impose considerable barriers to entry or restrict international business activities, therefore being important considerations for companies operating globally.
Barriers to entry, whether government-enforced or not, can shape the competitive landscape of a market by determining who can and cannot participate, as well as the costs and requirements associated with entry. For instance, a government-enforced barrier to entry is when a city passes a law restricting the number of taxi licenses it will issue, or when it requires cab drivers to pass specific tests and have insurance. These barriers are imposed to control the market and protect stakeholders, including public safety. On the other hand, non-government-enforced barriers, such as a well-known trademark or ownership of a unique natural resource like a pure water spring, arise from market conditions and business advantages that are not legislated but can significantly impact market dynamics. Lastly, industries with large economies of scale relative to the market size also create barriers to new entrants as the investment to compete effectively is often prohibitively high.