The U.S. Declaration of Independence advocated respect for and protection of individual rights—our inalienable right to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness—and the U.S. Constitution codified these principles into law with its checks and balances to limit collectives and groups from using government power to their advantage. This system enabled many individuals to act on their thinking and to be in control of their lives on a hitherto unprecedented scale, as they were subject to a minimum of taxation, redistribution, and regulation.
Think Right or Wrong, Not Left or Right 