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.

To prepare:

• Review the Interactive Units from this week’s Learning Resources.
• Review the U. S. Constitution, which can be accessed via a link in this week’s Learning Resources.
• Consider historical events that led to the writing of the Constitution.
  • Why was this document necessary?
  • Reflect on the basic principles of the Constitution.
  • What are the principles of the Constitution?
  • How were the principles of the Constitution relevant to issues in society around the time of its drafting?
  • How are these principles applied to and seen in current American society?

With these thoughts, in mind, complete the Discussion:

By Day 3

Post a 1- to 2-paragraph description of one feature of the Constitution designed to protect individuals from the abuse of power by government and how this feature is still relevant in current American society. Be sure to cite at least one reference from the Learning Resources to support your answer.