Read this excerpt from the Constitution.The Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent . . . abuse of its powers, that further . . . restrictive clauses should be added.

The excerpt says the states wanted additional limits “in order to prevent” abuse of the government’s powers. This means the purpose was to prevent the abuse of power, which matches choice C. It does not say the goal was to restrict citizens’ rights; the added clauses were intended to protect them.

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