Limited Government

Limited government as defined in the dictionary is a type of government in which its functions and powers are prescribed, limited and restricted by law. The main purpose of today’s limited government is to protect citizens’ rights.

The Western notion of limited government began in the Roman Republic. The Romans established the concept of checks and balances. This meant balancing and restricting the interests of those in power. This differs from the U.S. governmental system, where the limits are based on power and function, however the concept forms a major part of limited government. In a limited government, power is divided into multiple branches, each of these branches having its own specific function and some way of controlling the other branches of the government. The Magna Carta was the first example of limiting the powers of leaders in order to protect the rights of civilians.

In the U.S. there exists a written Constitution; this constitution contains the Bill of Rights in the form of the first Ten Amendments, combined with court decisions and legislative acts these documents also limit governmental power and protect citizens’ rights.

The U.S. does not directly vote on national legislation, they do not directly vote for the president instead they elect representatives to the House of Representatives and senators to the Senate. Collectively all of the elected officials make up the Congress. The first continental Congress was established in 1755 and by July 1776 the Declaration of Independence was adopted. The Declaration of Independence is a three-part document, the first part being a statement of basic human rights, including the famous quotation “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness".

All of the factors described above come together to form the U.S. Government of today and to help...