The Framers limited government power by creating a federal structure that divided the responsibilities for governing between the national and state governments. In addition, the national government's power was limited by dividing its functions among three branches according to a principle called separation of powers. Finally, the Framers created a system of checks and balances by which the actions of one branch might be blocked by another.
limited government with divided powers—power divided between the national and state governments and the federal government shared power between 3 branches.
