What principle of constitutional government ensures that elected officials must follow laws and cannot infringe upon people's basic rights?

The principle of limited government is foundational in ensuring that elected officials adhere to the laws established by the Constitution and respect the rights of individuals. This principle asserts that governmental power is restricted by law, thereby preventing tyranny and the arbitrary use of authority. Under limited government, there are specific boundaries set on what the government can do, ensuring that officials cannot overstep their authority or infringe upon the basic rights of citizens. This encapsulates the essence of the rule of law, where both government and citizens are subject to the law, thus safeguarding people's freedoms and liberties.

In contrast to limited government, federalism involves the distribution of power between national and state governments, which does not primarily address the accountability of elected officials to follow the law. The separation of powers refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to prevent any one group from gaining too much power, while checks and balances are methods employed within this system to ensure that each branch can monitor and limit the actions of the others. While all these concepts are critical components of constitutional governance, it is limited government that directly focuses on ensuring that laws govern the actions of officials and protect individual rights.