How to Increase Freedom and Prosperity

America is more than a place, it is also an idea. 

One way to see "the idea of America" is as a conglomeration of the following societal roots, traditions and characteristics:

Freedom and prosperity flourish where all of these are strong and balanced. 

When any of these weaken, or any of them dominate the others, freedom and prosperity suffer. 

These are the roots of our freedom, and the ways to increase freedom and widespread prosperity in our day.

Any nation or generation can use these to drastically increase freedom and prosperity.

Take a good, long look at each item on the list. 

Are we strong in any of them? 

Has our reliance on institutions made our government weaker, less effective, and reduced how well we do everything else on the list?

Take another look. 

It is time to significantly strengthen the other five things on the list, which will naturally result in the proper strengthening of our government institutions. 

But if we wait for government to fix things, it will become even more ineffective at the same time that the other five weaken. 

It is up to us, as regular people, to fix our nation.