and governmental authority (Kingdon: 60). Thus, they initially populated American borders with skepticism about authority, hierarchy, and obedience. It is also very likely that those coming to America to better their economic situation would probably be very concerned with their individual advancement, and thus very unhappy about taxation and government over-involvement. So these were essentially the ideals the country was founded on, and once a system is sent down an initial path it's very difficult to set it in a different direction (Kingdon: 80). The diversity of America was also important in the overall development of a limited government. Early colonies did want to unify as a single nation, but were careful not to surrender too much of their local government control to a central government. The original colonies were very different from one another, just as many states are today, and wanted to preserve their local set of values. They feared an overly powerful national government that would rob them of their individuality. This thinking led to a federal system where states are given substantial power over their own actions, the national government is effectively weakened, and individualism is preserved (Kingdon, 67).America's social past also had an impact on its individualist ideology. The fact that America lacks any type of feudal system in its past explains why there was little in the way of class conflict. With this lack of class conflict, Americans were much less likely to implement a government heavy in programs intended to balance the class difference (Kingdon:69). The working class in America were much more individualistic than the working class of former feudal systems, where a noble class dominated and often owned most or all of the working class property (Kingdon: 69). These American workers, much more individual, were far less likely to favor a big government system where individual rights are sacrificed for...
