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rightwriting
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government
"Government is not the
solution to our problem; government is the problem."
Ronald Reagan, First Inaugural
President Reagan's bold assertion still rings true
today. Republicans have made progress ensuring
government works for the people rather than the people
working for government, but much more must be
accomplished.
The United States Constitution limits the power of the
federal government in order to protect the individual
liberties of American citizens. The first principle
America's founders understood was that when it comes to
the size of government, less is more. Republicans
believe government must be smaller, more efficient, and
more responsive to the needs of individual Americans.
And we work constantly to preserve individual freedom
because of the inverse relationship between the power of
the state and the power of the individual.
The obstacle to changing America for the better is the
Democratic Party. Due to the culture of dependency
created by the New Deal and Great Society, it has proved
difficult to limit government power. However, the growth
of government must be restrained if the United States is
going to continue to thrive as a nation, and Americans
must take more responsibility for their own personal
welfare.
Americans are no strangers to this debate. It gave rise
to our two party system. The framers of the Constitution
argued over the size and role of the federal government,
but the federal government has outgrown the scope of the
framers' intentions. The constitution was designed to
limit the power of
government and
protect the individual liberties of citizens. We've
strayed far from this constitutional dictum, and we face
the potential decline of our nation if government
doesn’t get out of the way of people pursuing their
dreams.
With the complexities and drama of the national
political stage, distracted citizens are not
surprisingly losing sight of the fundamental
philosophical difference and 'wedge-issue' separating
the Republican and Democratic parties - the size and
role of the federal government.
Congressional Republicans, in order to regain the
majority, must focus on distinguishing themselves from
their Democratic counterparts in the traditional realm
of political ideology rather than engaging in
unproductive debate in response to the latest
sensational news story. There's a growing inclination
among some leaders today not to appear ideological, but
what is politics about if not ideas?
Republican candidates must remind the American people
that the Democrats are to blame for a national debt in
excess of $8 trillion and a tax code that is too complex
and manipulated by special interest groups. Moreover,
America's economy is envy of the world today not because
of Democratic policies but rather in spite of them.
The vast majority of Americans believe that the federal
government is too large, too powerful, and a burden upon
citizens and businesses; yet Democrats in Congress,
contending the federal government knows what's best for
the American people, continue to vote for wasteful
programs that do little to improve the lives of the
those they're designed to benefit.
What are the benefits of a smaller, more efficient
federal government that has ceded power back to the
states? Simply that Americans will keep more of your own
money and enjoy more economic and personal freedom. They
will have more choices about how to spend their money
and where to send their kids to school. This freedom
ultimately manifests itself in a renewed sense of
independence, self-reliance, and personal
responsibility.
If individuals are free to pursue their dreams, everyone
benefits. Empower the individual. Free him of the
government constraints that bind him. Allow his talent,
ability, and drive to enrich both himself and those
around him. Enable him to live the life he's imagined,
and as he improves his own life and the lives of his
family he will improve the condition of many others –
individual by individual, community by community.
The family is the bulwark of society, but the individual
is even more fundamental. Big government, not unlike big
business, wrests power from individuals. An elite few in
Washington and in corporate boardrooms across the
country make selfish decisions that affect millions of
citizens and employees. If big government continues to
limit the power of the individual we may squander the
prosperity we now enjoy.
While Democrats promise the world and deliver much less,
Republicans understand that government should only
concentrate on doing what people can’t do for themselves
– such as providing for public safety, public education,
and public works. These are the issues in which
government can make a real difference.
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