What would you say is the closest precedent for the US empire and its inevitable end? I mean this in the sense of imperial overstretch caused by sapping its own dynamism and expansionist potential by in the course of empire building becoming progressively more internally illiberal and therefore less wealthy and less innovative in the relative sense?
What are some of the more clear cut historical examples of powers being successful on the international arena thanks to a small government allowing for a good business climate, which then became increasingly more spendthrift and/or internally regimented until they killed their goose that lay the golden eggs and went into stagnation or decline?