Charles Clary
March 31, 2016 ·
The Constitution divides the federal government into three main branches: Legislative (Senate and House of Representatives), Executive (President), and Judicial (Supreme Court). Article I, which describes the Legislative branch, enumerates specific powers to be exercised by that branch. Article II, describing the Executive branch, does the same for the President. And Article III sets up the Supreme Court, although it is a bit less specific as to the functions of the Court vis-a-vis the other two (although that was largely settled in the case of Marbury v. Madison).

The U.S. gov't is supposed to be a gov't of limited powers, although that is almost a joke today--the federal government, particularly Congress, seems to exercise almost plenary powers. The Bill of Rights, which was the first ten amendments to the Constitution, was seen by some of the Framers as completely unnecessary, because they felt that the limited government they set up could not infringe upon those rights anyway. Today, contrary to that view, the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights seems almost to be the only sphere of liberty left free from federal government power.

The original Constitution intended to create a federal government that was specifically designed to address matters that were essentially federal in nature--such as national defense and interstate commerce, currency, a post office, and so on. The taxing power was also greatly limited. Most police powers (that is, laws directed at the general health, safety, and welfare of people) were supposed to be exercised by the states.

You need to read the Constitution. Every American should be familiar with it, as with documents like the Federalist Papers written by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, which were written to urge ratification of the Constitution. It never guaranteed you free school, free housing, free food and the use of other peoples incomes, you however are FREE to legally pursue those on your own.