Which concept embodies the idea that a Bill of Rights would limit federal power?

• A. Judicial activism
• B. Popular sovereignty
• C. Originalism
• D. Limited government

Answer: (D)

Limited government is the idea that the national government has power only within the bounds set by the Constitution, with other authority reserved to the people or to the states. A Bill of Rights embodies that restraint by explicitly prohibiting certain federal actions and protecting fundamental liberties, signaling that government power is not absolute. This directly captures how a Bill of Rights would constrain federal authority.

The other ideas don’t fit as well. Judicial activism describes a court’s proactive role in shaping policy, rather than a principle about limiting government power. Popular sovereignty centers on the people as the source of political authority, not on constitutional restraints. Originalism is a method of interpreting the Constitution, not the principle that a Bill of Rights limits federal power.