What Is a Limited Government?
A limited government is one where legalized force is restricted through delegated and enumerated authorities. Countries with limited governments have fewer laws about what individuals and businesses can and cannot do. In many countries, a written constitution is used to spell out the powers and limitations of government power.
The opposite of a limited government is an interventionist or authoritarian government. In reality, most countries - even those with otherwise high degrees of freedom and liberty - operate with some amount of government control and intervention.
History of Limited Governments
Limited government, in its modern conception, originated out of the classical liberal tradition in Europe. This tradition emphasized the rights of the individual, in contrast to the monarchies and theocratic governments that dominated Europe at that time.
The Magna Carta, drafted in the year 1215, is one of the earliest written descriptions of a limited government. The document limited the reach of the English king's power by giving the country's nobility rights that they could exercise over the throne. However, the document only protected a small part of what is today the United Kingdom.
