05/09/2021
Limited Power of Government ? - What a concept!
The Principles of Liberty Series
Principle of Liberty # 19
Limited Power of Government
No principle was emphasized more vigorously during the Constitutional Convention than the necessity of limiting the power of the national government.
Two ways were devised to limit the national government. Governmental powers were strictly defined, and the Founders used legal chains incorporated in the Constitution to bind down the government.
Still, many states would not adopt the original draft of the Constitution because they feared the national government might encroach on the states and people. Therefore, the first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were added to spell out the ancient unalienable rights, clearly expressed to prevent the national government from violating them.
You are familiar with many of them, freedom of speech and religion, the right to bear arms, etc. But, consider the Ninth Amendment, “The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” And the Tenth Amendment, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”
In simple language, the Ninth Amendment states that the people possess all the rights, even those not listed in the Bill of Rights. And, even better, the Tenth Amendment adds more protection. If a power is not listed in the Constitution, the national government cannot assume it! It belongs to the States or the people.
*note: The Principles of Liberty series is a summary of ideas presented in the book titled: 5000 year leap.