Majority says government a threat to citizens' rights

people have been "anti-government" since day 1

no reason to think that a "big" government is any more 'dangerous' than a "small" one

.,

is that most people believe that FEDERAL government infringes on people's rights...mainly because it has become so large (and complicated) that it overwhelms in that people feel helpless about trying to change any of it or get rid of the parts that shouldn't be there in the first place. Special interests (either by groups or individual politician agendas) are, most times, too influencial because of the funds available to them to get their policies put into place....many times without the people even knowing it's happening.

The Constitution says that the STATES are the ones with the power to make changes that affect our lives and rights, not the FEDERAL government. If a law or right is being altered, added, etc. most times, it is easier for the PEOPLE of that State to hear or know about it in time to do something about it. The same holds true regarding LOCAL government issues.

In that sense, Jonah, it makes sense that 'big' government is far more dangerous than a 'small or limited' government. It's the FEDERAL government that needs to be restructured to only having the power to protect and serve our country rather than having control over the people who live in it by creating laws that alter, change, or do away with our individual rights....and it is NOT their job to determine WHAT rights we are allowed to have.

TONI H

Find Massachusetts oppressive, move next door to New Hampshire. That is the beauty of decentralized federal government.

I can't believe you think that. It is so obviously bogus. Small governments are more easily dealt with or replaced.

Our Founding Fathers understood that very well and made it the centerpiece of the US system. "That governs best which governs least." We are supposed to be their masters, not the other way around.

you (the majority) voted them in.

Vote them out...have an election every year...that'll keep'em in line

would only work if the House and Senate could be scaled back by eliminating 99 percent of what they have already done over the years and make the Federal Government a barebones Government again because it takes a year or more for any newly elected official to learn the ins-and-outs of how it works NOW. That's one of the reasons why we have alternate election years for them currently because you can't just wipe out all of them at once without creating even more chaos than what we the people already have to deal with. If we went with an election every year, only one fourth of the officials at a time would be up for election at a time instead of half like it is now for a two year term.

I believe that terms should be limited to two terms each (and only two years each term) just like the Presidency is (even that job should be limited to two-three years instead of four) so we stop the insanity of having long-term, heavily entrenched officials. It's much easier to 'nip the chaos' in the bud that way also.

Also, take away all the perks they all get since most don't deserve them anyhow. No more Secret Service coverage for life, no more free cadillac insurance (make them all pay for it), no more free rides on government planes, no more automatic pay raises, etc. If they want to 'serve', make them serve US and not themselves. No more 'czars' that haven't been vetted completely ahead of time. I'm sick of people being appointed at the pleasure of the President....ANYBODY serving in the Administration should be elected/voted on by the House/Senate....no matter WHAT party is in office...and if that 'job' is already being overseen by another Government office, then that 'job' shouldn't have an appointee in the first place. It's just more government waste that can be eliminated easily.

TONI H

peeling back the government to where it ought to be. I am not optimistic, though people DO seem to finally be waking up to some small extent.

If anything, the current bunch make it more starkly clear how far gone the system has become. So for that, I thank them.

JMO.

Assuming that the topic is about governments of countries, as in our federal one, i think that the result of small centralized government illustrates how easily it becomes totalitarianism as in Nazi Germany, Stalinism, and Maoist. it has also led to dictatorships, like Sadam, whuch a central seat is so exclusively the domain of one person,


Angeline

small centralized governments? Wow!

I guess it depends on your definition of "small". When I think of all pervading totalitarianism, "small" does not pop into my mind.