In an increasingly chaotic and unstable period in U.S. history, Redditors are wondering how the Founding Fathers would feel about all this. In an Ask Reddit post, one user requests examples of modern practices and policies that would have some wigged white guys running for their muskets.
Featured Video“Fellow Americans of Reddit, what has been accepted as a common practice here that probably has our founding fathers turning in their graves?” asked u/Ok_Concentrate_7617
It will come as no surprise that quite a few Redditors clearly referenced President Donald Trump in their answers. Critics were accusing him of violating the U.S. Constitution early in his first term, and round two has been much worse in that respect.
AdvertisementOther answers may cause double-takes from those who aren’t history buffs. Practices that seem to contradict the vision of figures like George Washington and John Adams have been emerging for decades, including the existence of a two-party system and a standing military force, not to mention one with a budget of a trillion dollars.
Of course, those we call the Founding Fathers weren’t, in all ways, good people. Some Redditors made sure to bring up the fact that most of them engaged in chattel slavery in one way or another.
Whatever you might think of these privileged men, there’s no denying that they weren’t able to predict how much the world would change in 250 years. If resurrected, these 16 practices might well send them right back to the grave.
1. A two-party system
“It was George Washington himself who said we shouldn’t have a two-party system. His contemporaries thought he was crazy at the time, but look at us now…” —u/KomodoJo3
Advertisement2. Factionalism
“John Adams warned against factions taking over politics in the Federalist Papers.” —u/madcoins
3. Data tracking
“Companies tracking your every click just to sell you more junk.” —u/noa_bliss
Advertisement4. A static Constitution
“I think the founding fathers would be shocked at how little we actually amend the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson felt that we should make changes to the Constitution every decade or so to fit the times, which is why the founding fathers put in a process to do exactly that.
But instead of going through that process, the American government relies on executive orders, handshake agreements, workarounds, back-door deals, and legal loopholes. Basically, the Constitution turned into a sacred relic instead of an actual living legal document.” —u/AmbitiousProblem4746
5. A massive military budget
“The size of the military. They got rid of the military (minus a tiny force) after the Revolutionary War. They didn’t want a standing military because then our country would want to use it.
AdvertisementHence, the Second Amendment talks about militias being required to keep the country free. The idea was a bunch of militias like the minutemen before the revolution that they’d call up if needed.” —u/0b0011
6. Presidential bribery schemes
“The president openly accepting bribes and payments from foreign powers.” —u/llcucf80
7. The collapse of checks and balances
“They put so many checks and balances in place so that the president couldn’t be a king that I don’t think they anticipated that when the same party controlled all the branches they would roll over for him so easily.” —u/religionlies2u
Advertisement8. Public inaction
“Most of the population sitting on their thumbs while the country is being dismantled piece by piece.” —u/Ok_Indication_4873
9. Such a powerful executive branch
“I think they would be alarmed and dismayed, if not outraged, at how Congress has violated the separation of powers and caused government bloat by ceding much of its authority to the Executive Branch.” —u/tc6x6
Advertisement10. Corporations being people
“The Citizens United decision, straight up putting into law that it’s legal for corporations to bribe politicians, would have made the founding fathers sick.” —u/shermstix1126
11. Gun control
“Restrictions on firearms, they believed that anything that the government had should be available to citizens as well.” —u/JCMGamer
Advertisement12. Income taxes
“Income Tax should have resulted in the entire Presidential Cabinet getting mob lynched if we did things like the founding fathers.” —u/TheRealRedParadox
13. Protest restrictions
“Permits and ‘free speech zones’ for 1st Amendment protests.” —u/Late_Again68
Advertisement14. Freedom and equality for all
“I mean, not a good one, but I’m pretty sure a lot of those dudes would be real upset about the abolition of slavery.” —u/seanofkelley
15. The politicizing of the courts
“The Courts becoming political entities. Specifically, the stacking. You can always tell what they are doing because they gin up a story that the other side is doing it first. Note the emergence of the phrase ‘Radical Liberal Judges.’
AdvertisementThis somehow justifies the pre-positioned Heritage/Federalist Judges in response (over the last 25 years). And note the ‘Radical Liberal Judges’ are following the letter of the Law as they are required to do and are actually both DEM and GOP appointees. So the labeling is solely for the sake of the Propaganda to pacify the misled Base.” —u/TechnicalWhore
16. Militarized police
“The establishment of quasi-military police forces and their deployment against citizens exercising their constitutionally protected rights. The founding fathers were pretty hostile to the idea of a standing military because they believed it would eventually be used as a tool to oppress.” —u/Equivalent-Peanut-23
Advertisement
It’s Official: Superman Is the First Superhero Movie of 2025 to Fly Past $600M at the Global Box Office, While The Fantastic Four: First Steps Inches Towards $500M