Why did the founding fathers mistrust the big government?

Answer 1

Here are few examples of the type of government they feared arising later in history.

Nazi Germany
Communist China
The Soviet Union
Cuba

Big government is typically corrupt and dangerous government which restricts and eliminates the rights of its citizens.

Answer 2

Not being from the US I think that I have a slightly different perspective on this than the previous answers.

I don't think that the America's founding fathers were afraid of big government. They were tired of being taxed without having the ability to say anything about how the taxes were spent. The colonial governments and most of the business people in the 13 colonies were very annoyed when the English parliament dictated policies on them. This became very apparent during the seven years war.

The colonies were only interested in westward expansion which England denied them because the French traditional claimed that territory. George Washington ambushed the French when there was no actually declaration of war.

At the end of the seven years war, the 13 colonies thought that they would achieve the westward expansion that they so badly wanted, but the English parliament did not allow it. This lead to declaration of Independence a mere 10 years later. I think that the founding fathers did not fear big government...I think they feared a strong central government. That is why states have separate criminal codes etc (unlike most other western democracies that have one criminal code).

It has been argued that the founding fathers fear of a strong central government lead to the US Civil war less than 100 years later.

Answer 3

They mistrusted a government which could not be run at the will of the people. They built in a system of checks and balances that ensures that the government they created can not become so large that there isn't some other department overlooking it, and ensuring that our "rules" for government are not broken or misused.
They mistrusted any type of absolute power...they mistrusted any type of power based on fear, retribution or loss of freedom.
They didn't necessarily mistrust a large government; just one that wasn't by the will of the people who must live under it.

Answer 4

The size and scope of government was a subject of controversy among the founding fathers. Madison was one of the chief advocates of small government had the following to say on the subject.

# It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.

# The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.

# What prudent merchant will hazard his fortunes in any new branch of commerce when he knows not that his plans may be rendered unlawful before they can be executed?

Answer 5

They had just finished fighting (and winning) a bloody war to fire a big government.

They didn't want to have to do it again.

Sadly enough, their sons and grandsons DID have to do it again -- and, even worse, that time Big Government won.

Answer 6

They were sick of the control of a foreign King in England, the dictates of the Church of England and wanted a new start outside of those factors.

Answer 7

They understood that power corrupts, and believed that one day we WOULD have to overthrow the government, that is the main reason why we have the right to have weapons. Actually we are supposed to have access to the same gear as the military.

Answer 8

They wanted freedom from being a colony of a monarchy. Less government means more freedom, less laws and regulation and should be less costly.