the Loss of the Republic was the passage of the 17th amendment
Direct election of United States Senators accelerated the destruction of the Republic, but the 16th Amendment (Income Tax) is the true cause of death.
In 1913, total government spending was 7% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 4% Federal government spending and 3% State and Local government spending.
The Founding Fathers knew that government would always attract the corrupt and self-serving, that tale is as old as time. Limiting the size and scope of government would reduce corruption and increase efficiency. More than any other change since the adoption of the Constitution, the 16th Amendment removed any effective limitations on the size and scope of government.
Today, total government spending is 37% of GDP, 23% Federal spending, and 14% State and Local spending, directly causing much of what plagues the nation today. If history is any guide, national survival is problematic when government as a share of GDP exceeds 40% for any appreciable length of time.