Word: parapet
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Contrary to the impression often conveyed by formidable law-enforcement agencies like the FBI, the Federal Government's dominion is limited to only those powers specifically spelled out in the U.S. Constitution. Remaining areas of authority, such as law enforcement and education, are jealously cloistered behind the parapet of state sovereignty. Since the New Deal, however, the Supreme Court has permitted the government to breach certain portions of this wall, using a clause in the Constitution that grants Congress the power to "regulate commerce among the several states." With the court's acquiescence, federal lawmakers have employed the clause...
...Reagan was all but invulnerable to the vigilantes of the hard right. Also, as a virtuoso political showman in his own right, Reagan appreciated the skill with which Gorbachev manipulated appearances, creating the impression of mastery and leadership even as he raised one white flag after another over the parapet of Soviet power...