Overview
Why did the Founding Fathers want to limit government power? What was so special about the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution? This segment looks at the principle of limited government.

Enter your email address below to access these resources

To help ensure our emails reach your inbox, you may provide a personal email address to bypass school spam filters.

Grade level and subjects
• Recommended for grades 6-12
• Subjects: Government and History
• Works in Classroom, Hybrid, and Homeschool settings

What students will learn
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
• discuss the purpose of the Declaration of Independence;
• discuss separation of powers and checks and balances;
• explain the reason for limits on government powers; and
• evaluate the impact of separation of powers and checks and balances on limited government.

Key concepts and terms covered
Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Limited Government.

Sample discussion questions
• John Stossel said that the Declaration of Independence is about limiting government. Why should government be limited?
• The idea that we have natural rights helps us understand that our rights do not come from government but rather are protected by government. Why is this an important distinction?
• Should people be free to speak, even if it is offensive? What might happen if offensive speech is banned?
• John Stossel referred to separation of powers when he said, “The Constitution divided government power in ways that limit authoritarian politicians from both parties.” How would separating powers among executive, legislative, and judicial branches limit politicians?
• Have the ideas of natural rights and limited government become outdated? If so, what kind of government should we have?

What’s in the free teacher’s guide
This printable 13-page Teacher's Guide includes a lesson description, learning objectives, key vocabulary, a fill-in viewing guide with answer key, discussion and analysis questions, and classroom activities.

Standards alignment
Aligned to state standards — use the SITC Standards Tool to match this video to the standards in your state.