|
The cornerstone of limited government in the U.S. is the
Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10) and related guarantees of individual liberties contained
in the U.S. Constitution. Individual rights provide an array of
restraints on political power to protect persons against unwarranted
intrusions and abuses. Amendment 1 limits Congress. Amendments 2,
3, and 4 limit the Executive. Amendments 5, 6, 7, and 8 limit
the Judiciary. Amendments 9 and 10 limit the national government.
Beyond the Bill of Rights, Amendments 13, 14, 15, 19, 24, and 26 limit both national and
state governments. The Bill of Rights has been widely emulated and
frequently elaborated as we can see next in the Texas Bill of Rights and
in the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
|
