What does due process limit regarding government action?

Due process primarily serves to protect individuals from arbitrary denial of their fundamental rights by the government. It limits government actions that might interfere with an individual’s life, liberty, or property without following fair legal procedures. The concept of due process is enshrined in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, which require that any deprivation of life, liberty, or property must be performed with the observance of established legal standards and not in an ad hoc or arbitrary manner.

This principle means that before the government can take away someone's property, impose severe constraints on their freedom, or infringe on their basic rights, it must provide adequate notice and a fair hearing. This ensures that all individuals receive fair treatment under the law, and that there are checks and balances on governmental power to protect personal freedoms.

While the other options relate to various government functions and powers, they do not encapsulate the essence of due process in the way that the limitation on interference with life, liberty, or property does. For example, while due process does influence how criminal laws are enforced and can impact taxation practices and the establishment of institutions, those contexts do not directly address the core principle of protecting individual rights against government overreach.