Some Thoughts on the American Experiment
History is rife with political experiments. Some begin with the assumption that citizens are “children” of the state, and so the state has a “parental” responsibility for the well-being of its family. These experiments have a bad reputation for making people unhappy because the parents seem to know very little of what is best for the children. If these experiments are successful, it is typically only at the end of a gun.
Other experiments begin with the assumption that God has designated a unique individual to lead people according to morality and dictates from on high. Monarchs accomplish the will of God through the people. These experiments have a bad reputation for making people unhappy because, at some point, the Chosen One seems to lose sight of the will of the good God. Similar experiments that begin with the idea that a unique individual knows what is best for citizens, but that subtract the concept of “divine right,” tend to have even worse reputations, since the citizens are then treated according to the caprice of the king. If either type of experiment is successful to any degree, it is typically only at the end of a gun.
Other experiments, still, begin with the assumption that the government has a moral obligation to provide what is best for its citizens, but in these, the people determine, by vote and constitutional decree, how the government is to fulfill that obligation. These experiments have a reputation for being decent, keeping its citizens well-educated, well-fed, and in generally good health, though the amount of regulation required to sustain these experiments often restricts resources in such a way that there is little room for progress or wealth. If these types of experiments are sustained, it is typically by the wallets of those who work harder than the rest.
The American experiment is different from all of these. In the American experiment, individuals are more valuable than the government or any goals of its leaders. The goods of the nation are defined in terms of the goods of the individuals. If the individuals own anything, it is because they or someone close to them earned it. Fewer regulations make progress and wealth possible. With hard work and the compassion of a few, almost anyone can avoid poverty. With hard work and a measure of cleverness, almost anyone can retire comfortably.
How is this experiment doing? It has survived a civil war, two World Wars, civil uprisings, political scandals, and terrorist invasions. There are fewer liberties now than in the past. It is more difficult to compete in certain markets, including the political. Yet, we tell ourselves, “It remains the best of all the experiments.” And while it probably is, as you celebrate this Fourth of July–the inauguration of the American experiment–remember what the experiment set out to prove: that individual goods are the best measure of a nation’s goods, and that individual liberty is the most efficient way to achieve those goods. The results are good so far. Let’s not change the controls.
God bless America.
