police power

noun

1. the power of a nation, within the limits of its constitution, to regulate the conduct of its citizens in the interest of the common good.

Word History and Origins

Origin of police power¹

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

Example Sentences

“The public has a right to know which officials are exercising police power, and anonymous enforcement undermines both constitutional norms and democratic oversight,” Padilla and 13 other Democrats wrote in the letter.

From Los Angeles Times

"It is not the federal government’s place in our constitutional system to take over a state’s police power whenever it is dissatisfied with how vigorously or quickly the state is enforcing its own laws," he wrote.

From Salon

He is making changes that increase police power, signaling a push to refill federal prisons and detention centers with Black and brown people and curbing the ability of those impacted to seek redress in courts.

From Los Angeles Times

Last year, the New York Police Department moved forward with adding the robotic canines to its force despite complaints of “a dystopian overreach of police power,” according to Wired.

From BBC

"People need to feel like they can observe and record the state exercising its police power, whether that's on Bourbon Street or the side of the road," Scott Sternberg, a lawyer for the plaintiffs told the Times-Picayune.

From Salon