Bernie Sanders would make a great American president — if by "great" you mean a president who wants to cast aside the free-market economy, our constitutionally limited government and cherished individual liberties.

And while it's unlikely Sanders will win both the Democratic presidential nomination and the general election in November, it's certainly possible.

Donald Trump certainly has proved that unlikely candidates can win the White House.

Sanders currently leads the polls in Iowa, New Hampshire, Utah and, most importantly, in California, according to Real Clear Politics.

If Elizabeth Warren were to drop out after Super Tuesday, most of her support would likely go to Sanders, since their policies are so similar. If that happens, Sanders could take a commanding lead over Joe Biden.

In addition, Sanders' supporters are more energized and motivated than those of other Democratic candidates, in part because many of Sanders’ backers think he was robbed of the 2016 Democratic nomination.

But a Sanders presidency would mark a dramatic turning point for the country.

Take the economy. The United States has always relied on free markets. A market economy is not really a "system" since it's largely uncontrolled. Markets happen when people and companies are free to buy, sell, hire, invest and enter into voluntary contracts.

One key benefit of markets: Only businesses that please the consumer survive.

As a self-described democratic socialist, Sanders wants managed markets. People can buy, sell, hire and invest only if the "managers" — politicians and bureaucrats — allow it. That typically means that only businesses that please the politicians survive.

In a recent speech to explain what he means by democratic socialism, Sanders said, "After decades of policies that have encouraged and subsidized unbridled corporate greed, we now have an economy that is fundamentally broken and grotesquely unfair."

By "decades" Sanders includes the presidencies of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Has the man looked at the historically low unemployment rate in Donald Trump's America? Or the rising incomes?

While the U.S. economy is more regulated than it used to be, it is still mostly a market economy. A Sanders presidency would try to put an end to what he calls "the incredible attacks against working families that have taken place under unfettered capitalism."

Sanders would also fundamentally change the limits on government imposed by the Constitution. To its framers, a limited government was a goal, not an obstacle.

Not to Sanders. He wants not just a big government, but an activist big government, one that has a controlling say in almost every aspect of our lives.

Don't think the framers intended the federal government to run the health care system, pay everyone's college tuition, take your guns or force you to use only renewable energy? Too bad. That's what Sanders and his followers want.

Don't think the framers would have allowed the government to tax most or all of your income and assets above a government-allowed amount? Look at his tax plan.

Don't think the framers would have supported the government prohibiting or criminalizing long-standing religious beliefs, forcing people to engage in or accept practices they believe are religiously precluded? Listen to Sanders when he's condemning those he considers bigots.

Most presidential candidates call for change. Sanders is much bolder; he's calling for a "revolution."

"To bring about real change, we need a political revolution where millions of people stand up, fight and demand a government that works for all of us," he said last June.

But it's not a revolution to protect our rights and freedoms. It's a revolution to revoke them, which is exactly the kind of "great" American president Sanders' followers want.

Merrill Matthews holds a Ph.D. in humanities from the University of Texas and is a resident scholar with the Institute for Policy Innovation in Dallas. This was distributed by Tribune News Service.