The founders envisioned a very limited government, in which those in positions of authority were only able to engage in taxation for very specific reasons. Unfortunately, today, taxation has exceeded what could be considered “limited” by most definitions. Modern-day taxation can be described as taking one American’s earnings and giving them to another. This can take the form of foreign aid, welfare, food stamps, and much more. America’s founders would find taxation for those reasons to be an illegitimate role of government.
