PRINCIPLE #2: SMALLER GOVERNMENT by T. Edwin Perry
Thomas Jefferson said that, “The natural progress of things is for Liberty to yield and Government to gain ground.” He was not suggesting that this was how things SHOULD be, but rather how they WILL be, if left to their own devices.
With the First Principle of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY established, the second must be SMALLER GOVERNMENT. It is one of the few topics that our Founders were truly undivided on from the beginning. While they were divided on the strength of the Federal Government as compared to the powers of the States, they were convinced that the only defense against a Government that would become Oppressive and Tyrannical was to limit its size. This is one reason why our Federal Government, and that of most of our states, is split into three separate branches.
The Smaller the Government, the less Power it can wield, the more efficient its works can be, and the more clearly the voice of the People can be heard! It was always understood that the Representation of our Government would, by necessity, expand in conjunction with the growth of our Population and the number of our States, but in no place in the Constitution was the Government intended to feed, clothe and employ that Population. From the beginning, our Representatives worked only a couple of weeks per year in the business of the Nation, with the exception of the Executive Branch; however, as our Government has bloated over the decades with Social Welfare Subsidies and other forms of largesse, the size of Government has grown exponentially, and its efficiency has inversely declined at a similar rate.
The Growth of our Government can be linked to two distinctive acts: Spoils and Patronage. Through Spoils, the party that wins an election repays its supporters through Government Jobs, Government Appointments, and Government Money. Through Patronage, Businesses and Special Interest Groups are rewarded for their support through special contracts and preferential treatment in negotiations. And these faults are not limited to one party or the other. George W. Bush appointed Karl Rove, the man responsible for his successful Presidential Campaign, as his Chief of Staff as reward for a job well done. Likewise, Barack Obama appointed Rahm Emanuel to the same position for the same service. Under George W. Bush, the Halliburton was provided with preferential “No Bid” contracts for its support in the reconstruction of the Iraqi Oil Production following its invasion. Under Barack Obama, the Union, SEIU, has been given preferential treatment in its negotiations during the bankruptcy proceedings involving General Motors, violating the trust of the GM Bondholders, and attempted to provide substantial financial support and Government Services Contracts to ACORN, despite allegations of Voter Fraud and other improprieties. And while having a Smaller Government might not stop all of this type of activity, it would allow the Citizens to have the opportunity to not only know about it, but to oppose its use.
The most recent President to significantly reduce the Size of Government and its spending was Ronald Reagan. He said, “Government is not the Solution, it’s the problem.” He knew that our Government had become so bloated that it was crushing the Citizenry that was forced to carry it. As Conservatives, we are not ANTI-GOVERNMENT, but, rather, we are PRO-LIMITED GOVERNMENT. We accept the need for our Government to serve in the capacities defined by the Constitution, and that, beyond those functions, Government should remain limited. By limiting its size and its power, yes, we remove the safety net that the Government can provide, but we also ensure our Freedoms FROM a Government that, if placed in the control of the WRONG people, could enslave the Population for Generations. Unlike Liberals and Progressives, who typically see the Government as the BEST Solution for the ills of the People, Conservatives see the Government as the Solution of LAST RESORT, and that we should not place our faith in the Government to solve our Problems, but in OURSELVES!
Next Up? Principle #3: Lower Taxes
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