1
Limited Government and Balanced Budget Research Paper
Limited Government and Balance Budget Amendment
Nicholas Johnson
January 18, 2022
Dr. Shelley Taylor
PADM 600
2
Limited Government and Balanced Budget Research Paper
Introduction
The United States of America was established based on liberty. In the United States,
people are free to live their lives as they want, without fear of retribution from the government.
They are also allowed to express their views whatever they wish, regardless of the consequences.
It was well known in America even before independence from the British Empire that a
democratic form of government was needed, as well as a guarantee of basic liberties and rights
for all citizens. In the words of the Declaration of Independence, "When in the Course of human
events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected
them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station
to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect for the opinions
of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impeach That all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, and that among
these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" is a self-evident fact that we embrace.
(Independence Day Proclamation of the United States) It's important to remember that although
many of our founding fathers were either atheists or not religious at all, they were deeply
committed to a Judeo-Christian way of life and governance. What constitutes a constitutionally
limited government as it pertains to budgeting, how the American budget is balanced and spent,
and whether a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget is warranted are all topics
that will be discussed in this paper.
Limited Government
An anarchist's basic skepticism of authority cannot be overcome, and no state can be
justified. For the totalitarian, power is justification enough, but only if it is absolute power.
3
Limited Government and Balanced Budget Research Paper
between totalitarianism and anarchy is a kind of governance (Ristroph 2005). The founding
fathers of the United States of America went to considerable pains to restrict the authority of
their government. Even though the federal government may enact laws that effect everyone in
the country, the founding fathers of the United States intended for the country's real authority to
rest with the states. There are three criteria that the American government must follow to justify
state power under this restricted federal government: state power must be justified, federal power
limits may be justified, and ultimate power has never been justified (Ristroph 2005).
America's governmental authority is constrained in part because of this and in part
because of the federal government's three branches (executive, legislative, judiciary). There can
be no faith in government entities to set limits on their own authority and enforce them (Ristroph
2005). Using the term "separation of powers" in a manner that diminishes America's democratic
structure is common. However, this does not mean that the executive and legislative branches are
free to do anything they choose, nor does it mean, as we can see now, that Congress is free to let
the president do whatever he pleases under the so-called "separation of powers." Each group has
its own system of checks and balances in which it may monitor and even veto the other.
The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are built on the idea of limited government,
separation of powers, and a system of checks and balances. The Constitution is a lengthy text
whose primary goal is to restrict the government's powers. For the most part, the document lays
out the limitations placed on elected officials by the executive branch. However, the founding
fathers of the United States of America were aware that they had made mistakes and left a
system in place so that future generations could amend the constitution to allow for additional
liberties. Most notable is the first amendment's "Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or forbidding its free exercise; or abridging the freedom of speech, or
4
Limited Government and Balanced Budget Research Paper
the press; or the right to assemble peacefully and petition the government for redress of
grievances" provision (U.S. Const. amend. I). Because only the people have the power to elect
and remove government officials, the concept of limited government has popular support. In a
constitutionally limited government, the people are the only real source of power.
Government Budgeting
"Balance is the most significant restraint on budgeting" (Rubin 2017). Making a budget
in the United States requires allocating funds to two distinct categories: discretionary and
required. With 2.45 trillion dollars spent on mandated expenditure, the United States spent
approximately 75% on programs like Social Security, unemployment, and Medicare and the
remainder on programs that just need a minimal amount of money to function. Only 1.11 trillion
dollars were spent on discretionary expenditure in 2015, with more than half going to military
spending. This leaves the country with just 600 billion dollars, and everyone wants a piece of the
action (National Priorities 106).
America's budgetary problems are exacerbated by just one factor alone. Because they
must pay mandated programs, they don't have the money to support all their programs equally,
yet they must do so. Limited government in the United States is a major factor in this. Taxation
must be balanced between federal and state levels, and most states' constitutions or laws stipulate
this (Rubin 2017). A political problem is also a restraint on American budgeting. Increasing taxes
is a very unpopular proposition that typically has a heavy political cost for politicians. As a
result, the government is operating at a deficit since it must raise expenditure in order to continue
funding its programs (Lee 2011). According to Keynesian economics, this isn't necessarily a
negative thing. It may provide a slumping economy a much-needed boost and typically result in
increased employment, economic growth, and public sector investment (Pettinger 2017). It is
5
Limited Government and Balanced Budget Research Paper
unfortunate that since 1970, the United States government has been running a deficit of historic
proportions and failing to balance a budget. When it comes to public expenditure, the
government is generally limited by the amount of money it has available versus the debt ceiling.
The biggest problem with this is that lawmakers may choose to increase the debt ceiling at any
time, which they frequently do (Rubin 2017).
Balancing Budget Amendment
Rather than an ideological conflict, the current political climate in the United States
resembles a hurricane. The nation is more divided than it has ever been. Neither side wants to
look at the budget from a balanced point of view, they want to continue to spend and make the
other people cope with it, neither side wants to back down. A, she said, he said argument This is
true at every level of government in the county, from municipal to federal. It's hard to see why
Americans would be opposed to this, because they're getting more from the government than
they're paying to the government (Rubin 2017). The United States has a debt of 23 trillion
dollars; thus, this will be a burden for future generations. Even if every American donated
$35,000 to the government in a year, it wouldn't even cover half of the deficit (US Debt Clock).
What began as an anti-tax movement has become an anti-taxation movement that will harm
future generations of Americans?
All members of the administrative and legislative branches of government are bound by
an oath of office to uphold and defend the United States constitution. Presidents and presidents
of the United States have stretched the boundaries of the Constitution on many occasions, but
Congress has often pushed the boundaries as well (Lee 2011). While it was never meant to be,
this shift in power places an unintended burden on the Supreme Court's shoulders. As a result, a
constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget now has a double edge. It prevents
6
Limited Government and Balanced Budget Research Paper
escalation of the national debt and government expenditure, while also giving states a measure of
fiscal autonomy. As a result of the pressure Congress and the Presidents have put on Congress
and the federal government, states are finding it more difficult to collect taxes and operate their
businesses as they see fit. Due to the federal government's expenditures and programs, the states
are unable to increase or decrease their budgets as much as they would want (Lee 2011).
Christian Worldview
We have governance because of God's providence. Religious leaders reigned over the
Israelites during the period, yet even they were not actually leaders in the sense that we
understand them. A monarch like the ones in other countries was requested by the people of
Israel in 1 Samuel 8-9 (King James 2020). As a result, governance is not something that comes
as standard. God might have refused, but the people wanted a leader, and God intended that
leader to be a man after his own heart. The people, the fallen ones, however, had different plans.
For this reason, Samuel even forewarned the Israelites of the harm a king would inflict on them,
including taxes and the kidnapping of people (wives, concubines, and slaves). Saul was anointed
king by the Lord since the people cried out for a ruler, nevertheless. Although he was first chosen
for his good looks, his kingdom was ultimately turned up to David when he was deposed by
God. There were times when David, a man after God's own heart, succumbed to temptation
while on the throne. Even though you have a deep devotion to Christ, power corrupts all things,
and the only one who has such power is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
People in the United States associate government with three things: presidents,
politicians, and large sums of money. Take a serious look at where we are now because of the
government's actions during the last 50 years. A deeply divided society, a record-breaking
7
Limited Government and Balanced Budget Research Paper
national debt, and a rising mistrust of government officials: these are the hallmarks of our day.
Money/greed and power corrupt all individuals, and a balancing budget amendment will help
alleviate this problem. The federal government's expenditures would stabilize, authority would
be returned to the states, and the nation could instead concentrate on important issues instead of
partisan differences. People may be corrupt, but God will never be. In Romans 13:1, he states,
"Let everyone be submissive to the ruling authority. As a result, the only legitimate authorities
are those established by God Himself.
8
Limited Government and Balanced Budget Research Paper
Bibliography
Pettinger, T. (2017, 10 26). How important is the budget deficit? Retrieved from Economics:
https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/7072/economics/how-important-is-the-
budget- deficit/
Rubin, I. S. (2017). The Politics of Public Budgeting: Getting and Spending, Borrowing and
Balancing. Thousand Oaks CA: SAGE Publishing.
U.S. Declaration of Independence.
Federal Spending: Where Does the Money Go. (106). Retrieved from National Priorities Project:
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-budget-101/spending/
Ristroph, A. (2005). Proportionality as a Principle of Limited Government. Duke Law
Journal, 264-331.
Lee, M. (2011). The Freedom Agenda. Washington DC: Regnery Publishing.
King James Bible. (2020). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org
9
Limited Government and Balanced Budget Research Paper
