Limited Government
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Definition: No government itself nor any government official is "above the law" and can overstep these constitutional bounds.
How is Limited Government applied in today's society?
To help you better understand, here are some examples of limited government:
1) The first amendment prohibits the government in restricting our freedoms of speech
2) Each branch prohibits each other from gaining more power
3) Federalism divides power between a central government and a small, local government
1) The first amendment prohibits the government in restricting our freedoms of speech
2) Each branch prohibits each other from gaining more power
3) Federalism divides power between a central government and a small, local government
The First Amendment
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This amendment protects the public's freedoms such as religion, speech, and press.
The most common freedom associated with this amendment is the right to free speech. People talk to each other every day and, according to the first amendment, they are allowed to say whatever floats their boat, so to speak. This amendment limits how much say the gov't has when it comes to verbal exchange between the public. |
Gaining More Power
One of the examples of this principle is checks and balances. Although this is also a basic principle of gov't, it is a great example of limited gov't. By having three different branches that hold different powers, the gov't has limitations. Each one has enough power to override the others, but not enough to take over the entire system.
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**To learn more about gaining more power, or Checks and Balances, click the button below!**
Dividing Power
One example that is very important to limited gov't is federalism. In other words, it means to divide power between a central gov't and a smaller one that deals on local levels.
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This example applies in today's society because federalism is all around us. For one thing, it's in your hometown. There is a city police force, which leads to a county police force, then a state police force, and eventually to the FBI. These different forces are all reporting back to separate places, yet they all serve the same overall purpose.
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**To learn more about dividing power, or Federalism, click the button below!**