Shadi Hamid's Excellent "The Case for American Power"

What if the United States were really and truly a low-tax country whereby legislators, bound and dedicated to the Founders’ deep skepticism about government, made it their legislative aim to severely limit the flow of dollars to the U.S. Treasury? The question is an idealistic one, and for obvious reasons: politicians love that people stand up when they walk into a room (Tom Wolfe, A Man In Full), plus those same politicians want a rich retirement that will only be rich insofar as the federal government continues to grow.