From 1913 to 1984, AT&T ran a government-sanctioned monopoly that had a mandate to provide universal service.

A qualified exception was the AT&T breakup in 1984, but that was unusual, a consent decree applied to a government-sanctioned monopoly.

Typically, the courts have imposed breakup orders in antitrust cases involving government-sanctioned monopolies, like AT&T, or when the monopoly was assembled in a series of mergers.

The Kingsbury Commitment of 1913 established AT&T as a government-sanctioned monopoly, as an out-of-court settlement of the government's antitrust challenge.

Colloquially known as Ma Bell, it reminds many older consumers of the days when AT&T was a government-sanctioned monopoly that provided reliable if bland service.

For its part, AT&T was a government-sanctioned monopoly with semi-autonomous local companies and other divisions, like a manufacturing arm, for which there was no justification for government regulation.

For years, protectionism and government-sanctioned monopolies had been used to shore up support for the old authoritarian regimes.

Countries replaced inflation with new taxes on the poor, high tariffs with regional trading blocs, and, especially, state monopolies with government-sanctioned private monopolies.

The government also proceeded to encourage the development of private industry by offering financial incentives such as government-sanctioned monopolies and low interest loans to prospective local factory owners.

Arguably, any idea generated so easily and frequently is both obvious and a dubious candidate for a 20-year government-sanctioned monopoly.