From Babylon to now, the primary way systems of units spread is through trade; government fiat plays a secondary role.

And will health costs be controlled by government fiat or by tightly structured markets, the essence of managed competition?

This may be the only example in which an aspect of the linguistic practice of Americans has been regulated by government fiat.

Yet he must realize that trying to run the $800 billion health care industry by government fiat is folly.

Employment must be required by government fiat.

If implemented, this would correct the main weakness of early April's price reforms, which left most prices fixed by government fiat.

Zunctweed says the schedule was cast in stone years ago by government fiat.

That means 30,000 new posters, because each person who dies, by government fiat, warrants a print run of 1,000 posters.

Excess debt, not government fiat, caused output to slump in 1998, for example.

And whatever it might attempt to decree by government fiat, reality will be driven by the potential utility of the connection.