Do you believe the Constitution limits the government or the people?

Question

Is the starting premise that people have rights that get limited for the greater good of society or is it that people are granted rights that don't interfere with the greater good?

Answer 1

I believe the Constitution was created to limit Government's control over the people.  However, the Government is failing to follow that and is trying to exercise complete control over the US citizens, therefore, not abiding by the Constitution.  We are slowly losing our rights and we the people need to stand up to these almost "dictators" in the Government before all of our liberties are gone.  To understand what the Government's true agenda is, begin by researching New World Order (NWO) and secret meetings, such as the Bilderberg Group, Trilateral Commission, and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

Answer 2

Inalienable rights all men are born with means just that. Rights that all men are born with and should not be taken away. Life, liberty , pursuit of happiness.

The constitution is a social contract between the people of the United States and thier government. This means that if the government is not holding up thier end of the deal then the people have the right to alter or change such government.

The entire Constitution is about setting boudaries for the government so that it does not become tyrannical, and so that it serves the people in the manner which it was  intended.

When making the constitution the framers knew we needed a government strong enough to keep us together and safe, but they were afraid of the government abusing its power as the king of england had. They made the constitution as a check on the power of the government.

Answer 3

The Constitution is absolutely supposed to limit the government.  Rights are not granted, we are born with them, and our rights are not limited to the Bill of Rights.  A Right can not be limited, but may be infringed up in violation of the Constitution.

The Constitution is a contract between the people and government and can not be changed by government.  Only the people can change the Constitution.

Answer 4

It depends who is voting and whose votes are being counted by whom,and  about what issue! M. Prime of America has it right, thanks for reminding me!

Answer 5

The constitution is the consent of the people to be governed. That's why it had to be ratified by the people and why the people are so involved in any amendments. It was a radical idea at the time that the people, and not the government, was the sovereign entity. There is also much language in the document itself which shows its operation as a grant of powers by the people to the government and a limitation on the extent of those powers. The constitution says very little about limits on people directly, but discusses what limits the government is allowed to place on them.

Answer 6

People HAVE rights and the Constitution limits the government to make sure those rights aren't infringed....and for other reasons.

This is where the word 'inalienable' comes in.

Answer 7

The constitution does not limit the people in any way.

It does  - and was very intentional - limit the power of government.

The constitution defines the structure of the government. There is one place the constitution addresses limitations and that is the initial amendments, ‘the Bill of Rights’, and these are stated in the affirmative not the negative. I.e. they say what can never be limited.

Only laws passed by the legislature limit people.

So, the next time you hear a politician say they are passing a law giving you more rights, they are lying. They are limiting ‘somebody’s rights somewhere. You already have that right.

Edit:

Kudos to the posters above, lots of good answers!

Answer 8

Like a lot of other subjects it is a double edged sword. It limits everyone involved but its neccessary. It limits our rights but also limits the rights the government can take away.