I need help with this project on Government. What are the concerns/issues with Congress on limited government?

[Alex]

I have a project for Government class and I need help. What the concerns/issues with Congress on limited government? i can't really find or think what the issue could be but i would like so help, thank you.

[George S]

Congress and all other government functions everywhere in this world want to eliminate limitations on them. Those were imposed here mostly by the anti-Federalist faction of the country's founders. Below is what happened.

Our Constitution converted the confederation of autonomous states brought into a loose union into a much tighter federation of states with a strong federal government overseeing it. Because anti-Federalist farmers and tradesmen did not trust or want the conversion compromises were made to help preserve some independence for states and protections for rural cultures against their exploitation by urban cultures. That exploitation inspires most revolutions and civil wars including ours.

The structure and principles of government here in the US are all wrapped around the very fierce battle between Federalist Party bankers and merchants and anti-Federalist farmers and tradesmen. The latter soon formed the Democratic-Republican Party ultimately known as the Democratic Party (today's Republican Party wasn't formed until the latter 1840s), but with true liberal policies not the socialist and progressive ones of today. The anti-Federalists strongly opposed many Federalist policies and did not trust the new constitution the Federalists wanted, so they demanded our Bill of Rights for protection from Federalist domination.

The primary reason the Federalist bankers and merchants called for a convention to alter the existing (then) constitution (the Articles of Confederation) was because that constitution allowed states to shut out businesses from other states. They were like independent countries aligned together without the overriding federal authority we have today under a federalist constitution.

The Federalists also wanted to form "well regulated [meaning fully trained and equipped] select corps of the young and ardent" (see Federalist Paper No. 29) formal militia units drawn from within the already existing militia of all able-bodied male citizens. The new formal militia of disciplined (and indoctrinated) young men (good for dominating states and citizens) was wanted by them to put down rebellions like Shays' a year before had been against Massachusetts banks. That rebellion was made from (of course) many members of the normal citizens' militia

Anti-Federalists didn't trust that new young militia and included our Second Amendment rights to military weapons for fighting with or against them when government officials send forces to dominate states or citizens.

The arguments between Federalists and anti-Federalists, under many compromises hopefully students are still taught, resulted in the new Constitution we have today. Fallout from the conflict between the two factions inspired the demand for a Bill of Rights the anti-Federalists authored, eventually cost Federalist leader Alexander Hamilton's life from a dueling wound, and culminated in our Civil War decades later.

PS: True liberalism advocates: individual freedom, weak government, and free markets. Conservatism advocates: moral responsibility, strong government, and protected markets. Progressives advocate: social concern, omniscient government, and controlled markets. Socialism advocates: social responsibility, omnipresent government, and collective markets.

PPS: Some compromises were: a "bicameral" congress with a Senate providing equal representation of states regardless of their population, an electoral college also allowing better representation in presidential elections for states with sparsely populated rural cultures, and the anti-Federalists Bill of Rights protecting some state autonomy and citizens individual rights.