President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society program didn’t just expand government; it shifted the purpose of government—from enforcing equal rules for all to pursuing equal results for all. The goal, he explained in 1965, was “not just equality as a right and a theory but equality as a fact and equality as a result.”

A bigger, more interventionist state confers greater rewards on those who organize for the benefit of its members. Thus, it should come as no surprise that our national identity has become fractured as the federal role has expanded. To learn more, read our article beginning at page 32.