A disease rages on the streets of Washington DC. It's a disease that cripples the economy, destroys jobs and leaves Americans living on the streets. Excessive spending perpetuates the disease and corrupt politicians prevent the cure. Federal expansion is ruining the lives of American citizens and creating a society of impecunious and pusillanimous citizens, unable and unwilling to speak out against the higher power that controls every aspect of their lives. “Where are our (sic) capable men? Why don't they mobilize to save their country? George Washington once asked his fellow men; today, many Americans might find themselves asking the same question as the country continues its downward spiral (Mizell). The overall expansion of the federal government over the past decade has proven detrimental to the well-being of the very American citizens for whom it promises to be "for" and "by" in the United States Constitution. Reckless spending, childish bickering, and "half-baked" politicians proclaim the fact that a major downsizing of the federal workforce and a transfer of power from the federal level to the individual states is what is necessary for the well-being of the country; the National Congress can no longer effectively fulfill its tasks. Reckless spending is the biggest problem facing the federal government today. The military's private sector has increased its spending to over $200 billion per year, while in contrast, Social Security will have exhausted its "trust" fund by 2033 and, at that point, it will will only be paying 76 percent of promised benefits (Clemmitt). Yet in this scenario, Social Security and the military are not the problem. In fact, many Americans fear the loss of these pre...... middle of paper ......Sep. 2013: n.pag. Hawkins, John. “The 20 Best Ayn Rand Quotes.” Mairie.com. Town hall, July 20. 2012. Internet. November 12. 2013. Jost, Kenneth. “Reexamine the Constitution.” QC Researcher. Internet. September 7, 2012: n.pag.Jost, Kenneth. “Supreme Court Controversies.” QC Researcher. Internet. September 28, 2012: n.pag. “Key Events in the History of Government Shutdowns (box). » Problems and controversies. Internet. September 9, 2013: n.pag.Mizell, Jack. “Where is George Washington when we need him? WGEA.us. WGEA, July 6. 2013. Internet. November 30. 2013. “Obama Calls Impact of Government Shutdown 'Heartbreaking.' » Problems and controversies. Internet. October 5, 2013: n.pag. “US Debt Crisis Tracker: Congress Fails to Reach Deal, Triggering Automatic Spending Cuts.” » Problems and controversies. Internet. March 11, 2013: n.pag. “Updated: States’ Rights.” » Problems and controversies on file. Internet. October 24, 2003: n.pag.