[Henchster]

"When empires fall it happens in stages, not all at once."

Stage 1 - 16th - The power to tax income becomes the power to grow government power.

Stage 2 - 17th - Senators chosen by popular vote eliminated Constitutional balance of Fed, State and People. Government power multiplies.

Stage 3 - 19th - Women get the vote, government power grows exponentially.

[Right_Wing_Madman]

The British historian John Glubb wrote that American decline started with Woodrow Wilson's second term (1917-1921).

Also, during this time, the state legislatures ratified four consecutive bad constitutional amendments from 1913 to 1920: the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th amendments.