America at 250: why the Constitution was built to restrain government, not celebrate majority rule
Author: Steve H. Hanke
Outlet: Fortune
Date: July 1, 2026
Marking America's 250th anniversary, Hanke argues that the Constitution was designed to advance liberty rather than democracy, protecting individual rights from the government and from fellow citizens alike rather than simply codifying majority rule. He notes that until World War I, U.S. economic and fiscal affairs were governed in that constitutional spirit, when government spending was under 2% of GNP and 99% of Americans paid no income tax, but that the federal government has since grown into an ever-expansive "Leviathan." Hanke contends that, thanks to the Founders' foresight in building amendment mechanisms into the Constitution, it remains possible to rein in that growth by amending the Constitution itself.
Full Citation:
"America at 250: why the Constitution was built to restrain government, not celebrate majority rule," Fortune, July 1, 2026.