My last paragraph doesn’t make much sense. I mean: The founders of the U.S. set up a government with checks and balances and accountability. They debated and debated and debated until they came up with a plan they thought would protect the nation against the dangers of tyranny, be it from a powerful king, a ruling elite, or a mob majority. I think they did amazingly well. They didn’t know if future generations would understand it enough and be wise enough to keep it. I’d say in many ways we have not been.
Add to that, they saw the need for society to protect and promote religion and morality (not in its specifics but in general) in order to keep the people fit for freedom. That’s not to say religion in its specifics does not matter, only that the danger of tyranny can rise out of religious ideology as much as from anything else. So while religion and morality are essential, they need to be developed separately from government.
There. That is my second try. I am sure others could say it better.
I am going to add one more thing:
No one alive today is to credit for the great form of government we were lucky enough to inherit any more than Russians are to blame for the oppressive government history they inherited. But I do think ours is better than theirs.