R: Limited Government is a Lie

It would seem that the idea of limited government is inherent in the American project.  Historian Ben Sasse notes that the Constitution of the United States of America was one of the first constitutions to define a government's power through the lens of what it cannot do.

230 years and 27 amendments later, the language of limited government still dominates our political dialogue, especially among members of the GOP that look scornfully upon the expansion of our federal government in recent years.  It becomes necessary to ask ourselves not only what a limited government as described by today's Republicans would look like, but to what extent it would even be feasible and inspire virtue in our nation.  While it might be fair to say that our government derives its power from the people and is to some extent beholden to their will, one can argue that this is only because the government has let itself be set up this way and still truly holds the power.  Is a small government a limited government, or simply a government built upon delegation?  The question becomes what it would mean for a people to truly rule and for a government to truly have limited rights before its citizens.