<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> In political philosophy, limited government is where governmental power is restricted by law, usually in a written constitution . It is a key concept in the history of liberalism . The Magna Carta and the United States Constitution represent important milestones in the limiting of governmental power . The earliest use of the term limited government dates back to King James VI and I in the late 16th century . Limited government put into practice often involves the protection of individual liberty from government intrusion . </P> <P> The reasons why the authors of the Constitution saw fit to limit the power of the government are set forth in the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson . Here, Jefferson outlines three basic assumptions widely held in the American colonies that supporters of the Declaration believed were not held by the English monarchy . These assumptions are: all men are created equal, they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and governments are instituted in order to preserve these rights . It was the fact that the English government was not adhering to these premises that the colonies saw fit to establish their own government in which all three would be respected . </P>

Where does limited government come from (historical origins)