What if we make a Constitutional Amendment which requires the Constitution to be interpreted in a Strict Constructionist fashion, and then introduce Constitutional amendments which restrict the government to a few vital functions (such as defense)? Politicians won’t be so willing to increase the size of the government if they would face impeachment procedures over doing so. Given that there is broad anti-government sentiment in this country and an increase in Tea Party politicians (or at least politicians sympathetic to the T.P.), pushing for an Amendment such as that in 2017 wouldn’t be a pipe dream.
And who will impeach these politicians? Other politicians? That leaves us where we are today.
I’m sorry to be the wet blanket here but expecting government officials police themselves and restrict themselves to what the Constitutuion allows - and not try to push the boundaries and talk their way thru it - is naive. They are just people, people who want the money, power and connections that being “in power” brings.