Question

questions 1 through 4 refer to the following.
let us, then, with courage and confidence, pursue our own federal and democratic
republican principles, our attachment to union and representative government. kindly
remembered by nature and a wide ocean from the exterminating havoc of one quarter of the
globe too high minded to endure the degradations of the others; possessing a chosen
country, earth, moon enough for our descendants... entertaining a due sense of our equal
right to the use of our own faculties, to the acquisitions of our own industry, to honor and
confidence from our fellow citizens, resulting not from birth, but from our actions and their
merit of them, enlightened by a benign religion... - with all these blessings, what more is
necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? still one thing more, fellow
citizens - a wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another,
shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement,
and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. this is the sum of good
government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities.
president thomas jefferson, first inaugural address, 1801
which of the following best describes jeffersons point of view in the excerpt?
a as a resident of virginia, jefferson felt the federal government
should financially support internal improvements.
b as the newly elected president, jefferson believes government
should limit interference in the lives of its citizens.
c as a leader in the early years of the republic, jefferson feels
governments should provide economic assistance to all
citizens.
d as the author of the declaration of independence, jefferson
believes state governments should have more authority than
the federal government.

Explanation:

The text emphasizes that the government should not interfere (e.g., "shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned") and that the sum of good is related to minimal government intervention. This aligns with the idea of limiting government interference in citizens' lives.

Answer:

B. As the newly elected president, Jefferson believes government should limit interference in the lives of its citizens.