MFIllini5,
Here's my take on what the founding fathers did. They found government to be a necessary evil. So they wrote a document showing how a federal government would work (after they botched the first attempt) and made sure that all states who ratified and VOLUNTARILY joined this union would have equal rights extended to all of them. Specifically, these rights would ensure that even though there had to be government, the individual's rights were paramount. So they drafted a "Here's how it's going to work manual for the government", this covered mechanics of government and rights of citizens. Realizing they kind of botched it again by being ambiguous as to who had the lion's share of rights so the made an addendum the Bill of Rights and said here are more rights of the individual. Finally, they concluded, if anything hasn't been covered as being the right of the individual, then assume the individual has the right.
As for government, again, it is my belief the founding fathers shrugged their soldiers and took it as a necessary evil to protect peoples rights and provide for the welfare (not the New Deal flavor either) of them.
I defend my position (and oddly it supports your position) that government is reflective of the culture it serves, so if the culture it serves is apathetic to its expectations of the governments' service provided then the government will be apathetic to the service it provides.
I could go on for an hour, or so, but I'll have to wait until I my internet connection is restored @ home by the cable company (ironically enough).
Our government was never meant to be compared to or be a business,
I don't compare it to a business, if it were it would have been out of business a long time ago (federal). But it should be run like one. I pay taxes for services; it's that simple. While I do own it and get to influence much of it, I have no choice in it. I own it and it owns me.
I'll resume this later...