- Restricted government describes a political system in which government agencies are prohibited from certain activities.
- In Europe, the concept of limited government gained momentum during the Enlightenment, but it can be dated at least as far back as Magna Carta (1215).
- Many modern political systems codify legal rights that cannot be violated by the government, police or military.
- In economic policy, limited government is often associated with the ideas of classical liberalism and laissez-faire economics.
- Although many theorists support the principle of limited government, there is disagreement about how strong these restrictions should be.