This is a sneak peek at a piece that’s going to appear in the Spring 2014 issue of Intercollegiate Review.

Rand Paul, who is the author of this piece, has a talent for connecting with college students.

Sneak Peek at the IR’s Newest Issue: Rand Paul’s Challenge to Students

One of the things I love about speaking with college students is the no-nonsense approach so many take. Your generation can detect falseness and hypocrisy from miles away. You want leaders who will not feed you a line of nonsense or sell you short.

Unfortunately, a lot of nonsense is peddled in Washington. I know—I work there and see it happen daily.

Think about the issues you con­front as you look to make your way in the world: a difficult job market paired with debt, in a country where economic security seems like a thing of the past.

Now think about how Washington has responded to these issues. Gov­ernment spending keeps accelerat­ing. The United States now spends almost a quarter of its gross domestic product (GDP) in Washington, and nearly half of that spending is borrowed. In fact, the federal government borrows $30,000 every second.

How, exactly, is that contributing to eco­nomic security—for you, for your parents, or for any other Americans?

Entitlement spending and inter­est on the debt will consume all tax revenue in the near future. It is not a question of if a debt crisis will occur in America. It is only a question of when. There is no question that this crisis will hit your generation hardest.

Of course, as important as Social Security, jobs, and the economy are, they are hardly our only con­cerns. The federal government now attempts to micromanage Ameri­can life at practically every level.

The government tells you what kind of lightbulbs you can buy, what kind of toilet can be in your home, how much water can come out of your showerhead. Privacy is seemingly an antiquated notion, with govern­ment snoops able to access third-party records, such as phone records, e-mails, financial records, and pretty much any other personal information they want, without a judge’s warrant.

These are not simply policy prob­lems; they reflect an abandonment of principles. America has drifted away from the constitutional principles of limited government, separation of powers, and individual liberty.