With less than a year to go until the United States of America’s 250th birthday, it is worth standing back and looking with awe at those years. The U.S. did not just become the richest, strongest, and freest country on Earth. It did so while remaining a stable constitutional democracy for 2 1/2 centuries, with only one interruption. The only other republic that comes close is Switzerland.

What is the U.S.’s secret? Is it the principles contained in the declaration? The ingenious checks and balances written into the Constitution? The character of the people?

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