I have included a list of suggested readings in the sidebar on the right.  I can personally recommend each of these books because I have read every one of them.  But if I were to recommend one book in particular it would be The Constitution of the United States with the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, Introduction by R. B. Bernstein.  Every citizen should read this book or read the referenced documents by some other source to understand the limits that our forefathers imposed on the federal government.  As you read these documents consider much of the spending that has been authorized by Congress after Congress over the last 80 years and ask, “Where in this document is that expenditure authorized?”  “Where did my father and mother or their fathers and mothers give the federal government the power to tax me to pay for that program?”

I recommend the Bernstein book because it is small in size, well indexed and can easily fit in a suit coat pocket.  It is easily carried and taken anyplace.  Take it on airplanes and read it a section at a time when you have the chance but become familiar with this document.  As an American it is probably the most important document you will ever read.  I regard the Constitution as my contract with my government.  It expresses precisely what the government may do in my name.  It is no more a living document to me than my home mortgage.  It is static.  It needs to be interpreted as static.  It provides a process by which amendments can be made and changing mores is not one of them.  Neither is foreign law.  Read this document and you will understand that it was purposely made difficult to amend to avoid a tyranny of the majority.  Then ask yourself again, has our government become tyrants to its citizens?  Has it overstepped its obligation to all citizens by denying equal protection to some?  If you continue to have questions regarding the meaning of some provisions (Article I, Section 8 comes to mind) then go to the supporting documents written by the men who drafted the Constitution.  Don’t rely upon me and don’t rely upon someone who is advocating a particular political position today.  The principal authors of our Constitution were Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison.  They also penned the Federalist Papers.  Read them.  In the case of Article I, Section 8, read Federalist Paper #41 written by James Madison and understand that ‘provide for the general welfare’ referred only to those powers specifically enumerated in the Constitution.  Then don’t be fooled when a US Senator asks you to believe that this article provides him/her carte blanche power to do whatever he/she determines to be for the welfare of all citizens.  For this democracy to work we rely upon an informed citizenry and many of us have been largely ignorant for too many years because we were not taught all of this in school and we have left the job of governing to politicians while we went about earning a living, raising our kids and supporting our families.