https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6XQv6S2iK0 Podcast audio: The founding of America was the greatest political achievement of the Enlightenment. Knowing that their experiment would be difficult to preserve, the Founding Fathers designed a unique system of checks and balances to prevent the United States from collapsing into tyranny. An essential element of that design, however, has been forgotten. In his talk at the 2026 Objectivist Summer Conference (OCON), Dr. Onkar Ghate explains the role of the moral character of the people as a check on the government. Ghate explains why the Founding Fathers appreciated this pivotal role in preventing America from straying away from its ideal of protecting the individual’s rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Q&A session includes the discussion of: Why are American people susceptible to pragmatism? Why are the branches of government ceding their power to other branches? When is it proper to organize politically? Are there differences between the legitimacy of the Iraq war and that of Iran war? This talk was recorded live on June 27in New Orleans as part of the Objectivist summer conference, and is available on The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast stream. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Watch archived podcasts here.

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