Abstract among the powers of government none is greater than the power to police and none less circumscribed for centuries it has been a commonplace of american legal and political discourse that the police power is and must be from its very nature incapable of any very exact definition or limitation. Among the powers of government none is greater than the power to police and none less circumscribed for centuries it has been a commonplace of american legal and political discourse that the police power is and must be from its very nature incapable of any very exact definition or limitation2 upon the police power the most essential the most insistent and always one of the . Request pdf the police power patriarchy and the foundations of american government among the powers of government none is greater than the power to police and none less circumscribed for . The police power patriarchy and the foundations of american government dubber markus dirk on amazoncom free shipping on qualifying offers the police power patriarchy and the foundations of american government