The NFPA-70 (National Electrical Code) prohibits the use of breakers larger than 20 A for general receptacles. But I have my doubts. A 20 A breaker on a 120 V circuit with appropriately sized wires doesn't seem like it is really any safer than a 50 A breaker with appropriately sized wires. Since many people are running a large number of independent 20 A circuits in kitchens, it seems like a worthwhile amendment to propose to the NEC to be able to up-size the wire and breaker rating to be able to run a single wire in this and other common scenarios.

Can anyone give insight into why 20 A was selected as the cutoff for general purpose receptacle circuits in the NEC? Is it really safer or is it just tradition of an arbitrary threshold carried onward? I don't see how it could affect shock risk, and anyway, we can't humanely collect data on people dying from electrocution more when they use a general receptacle on a 30 A breaker.