Tag Archives: freedom of speech

A major theme which frequently appears in most far right rhetoric is that any effort to expand the size of government is wrong, against the principles on which the country was founded, probably subversive and definitely dangerous. The founding fathers are portrayed as anti-statist small government fanatics. Because of this narrative and the liberal, excuse the pun, use of the world “patriot” among many of these groups, this theme has gotten some traction. This theme, however, relies on a somewhat narrow and subjective reading of American history — not just of 20th century history where the New Deal and later the Great Society led to increasing the role of government, but of 19th and 18th century history as well.

The project of the founders had two goals. The first was to ensure liberty and freedom for those who at that time were defined as citizens. Thus, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights formalized myriad individual freedoms and limits on what the state could do that, that had hitherto been largely unprecedented. These are the rights we all know and cherish — freedom of speech, religion and assembly, and other restrictions on what the state can do. However, if the Constitution had only focused on protecting rights and limiting the state, the country would not have lasted. This is not speculation but rather draws on the actual experience of the early years of the young republic. The constitutional convention of 1789 was called precisely because the Articles of Confederation had failed to build a functioning state.

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