Discussion: Features of the Constitution

How strong and powerful do you think your government should be? What kinds of problems can occur if government is too weak? What kinds of problems will emerge if government is too strong? These questions were very important to the individuals who founded the United States government. The framers of the U.S. Constitution wanted a government strong enough to defend the country and advance the economy, but not so strong as to destroy the liberty of individuals. For this reason, the Constitution included a number of features designed to limit the abuse of power by government. In this Discussion, you will identify one way the Constitution tries to protect citizens from the abuse of power by government and why it is still important to have these safeguards today.