Regional Seminar: Limited Government

James Madison warned in Federalist No. 51 that because men are not angels, government must be structured not only to govern, but to restrain itself. The Founders understood that liberty precedes the state and that government exists not to grant rights, but to secure them through carefully designed limits on power. Through separation of powers, federalism, and constitutional boundaries, they sought to prevent the concentration of authority that inevitably leads to tyranny. Today, many of these principles appear tenuous and increasingly at risk. This program will examine why the principles of limited government remain essential to protecting freedom in modern America.