US Presidency
1981

And in so doing, in many ways that central government has begun to fail to do the things that are truly the responsibility of a central government. All of this has led to the misuse of power and preemption of the prerogatives of people and their social institutions. You are graduating from a great private, or, if you will, independent university. Not too many years ago, such schools were relatively free from government interference. In recent years, government has spawned regulations covering virtually every facet of our lives. The independent and preexisting colleges and universities have found themselves enmeshed in that network of regulations and the costly blizzard of paperwork that government is demanding. Thirty-four congressional committees and almost 80 subcommittees have jurisdiction over 439 separate laws affecting education at the college level alone. Almost every aspect of campus life is now regulated, hiring, firing, promotions, physical plant, construction, record keeping, fund raising and, to some extent, curriculum and educational programs.