The mantra “Make America great again” is growing in popularity, but, as a campaign slogan, it is about as meaningless as “Hope and Change.” That doesn’t mean that America can’t be great or shouldn’t be great. It means that it is ambiguous and squishy. Most people like the idea of being part of a great organization, so it rings a bell, but millions of people have different ideas of what American greatness looks like.

The popularity of Donald Trump, the campaign of whom adopted the slogan, as well as that of Democrat Bernie Sanders, seems to tap into a feeling of discontent, that something is not right with Washington, that America is headed in the wrong direction and something needs to be changed. The supporters of both of them are right. Establishment candidates from both major parties, in spite of the gibberish they spout, will not change their stripes. They will continue with the status quo and contribute to the brokenness of politics in America.

People like the candor of Trump and Sanders and their willingness to go against the grain of party conformity, assuming that such conformity is the root of the political, economic, and social problems that we face. Both candidates take the approach that ” I will make things better. I will change the country, because I know what is best.” That demonstrates a level of naivety about progress and the political process, but even more, a willingness, if they get the opportunity, to trample on the rights of individuals and on constitutional limitations to the office. That is the path that has led to where we are.

What, then, makes a country great if not for strong-willed political leaders? If you look at those who are considered great by those who make such pronouncements, you will find that presidents are considered greatest who caused the greatest loss of life and property by getting us into and expanding the scope of wars and who caused the greatest loss of liberty by putting their agendas ahead of the rights of the citizens. Eagerness to sacrifice others qualifies one for the alter of greatness.

America became an economic powerhouse at a time when government bureaucracy was minimal and taxation at all levels was a small percent of national income. Size and scope of government has a significant bearing on economic freedom, and economic freedom correlates with prosperity of a nation. As a country’s economic freedom improves, its economic performance tends to improve with it. As economic freedom declines, economic performance tends to decline also.

Economic freedom in the United States in recent decades peaked in the year 2000, according to the Economic Freedom of the World report, and has been declining ever since. America is now not even in the top ten countries, sitting at sixteenth place. The significant decline in freedom is the result of many factors, but the most serious are the erosion of property rights, abuses of the rule of law, and increasing regulatory burdens. The economic effects are bound to be felt by the population in general, but just as important, the abuses themselves don’t go unnoticed. The strangling effect causes unease directly.

It should thus be no surprise that people are clamoring for change, again. The problem is that they are looking for another savior to make it all better. If America is going to be great again, it must go back to the freedom that made it great to begin with. A president can make America great only by recognizing that free people are the foundation for greatness. The best promise a candidate can make is “I will leave you alone and stop the interference in your lives and livelihoods.”

Daniel McLaughlin is a Randolph resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com or visit daniel-mclaughlin.com for more commentary, for links to other resources, or to leave a message.