The greatest achievement of American politicians seeking power was changing our understanding of the proper role of government. Americans no longer associate our government with being of the people, but rather as an autonomous entity that exists to provide for their needs.
If people believe it is the role of the government to provide health care, they no longer make the connection that it’ll be you and me paying for it. Redistributing the wealth is a perfect example of how Americans fail to understand that the government doesn’t have any wealth of its own — it simply collects the money from the people who earn it.
Our Constitution specifically outlines the roles of each branch of government. Everything beyond those roles is simply a political perversion for power and is not in keeping with our Founders’ vision. Our Bill of Rights is crucial because it protects our individual rights, which the government itself cannot infringe upon.
Restoring this basic understanding of the proper, limited role of government is one of the great challenges for young conservatives in the years ahead — and it invariably means to do away with “big government.”
Big government is the result of two things: One, generations of Americans who have lost a basic understanding of our founding principles and documents, instead being taught that the purpose of government is to do things for them; and two, politicians seeking power and recognizing that growing the size of government was a means to achieve this end.
And this goes for both Democrats and Republicans.
As far as the Right is concerned, Republicans and conservatives are currently engaged in an ugly battle for the future of the conservative movement. Establishment Republicans have lost touch with what it means to be conservative in terms of the size of government. They argue with Democrats over the flavor of punch while conservatives are upset by the size of the bowl.
As conservative politicians, websites, PACs and pundits duke it out for the right to claim the conservative mantle, it is important we put the pettier of our differences aside and coalesce around key united principles. Those include protecting our Constitution and Bill of Rights, limiting the size and scope of government, and promoting freedom in all facets of life.
Sticking with these issues not only energizes young conservatives, but will act as uniting principles for all Americans, regardless of party.
Finding the politicians who are truly willing to fight for these principles will not be easy. Anyone following the ongoing disparagement of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) can attest to the uphill battle ahead.
How do these principles translate into policy?
Conservative politicians could start focusing on a few key issues to capture the hearts, minds and votes of America’s youth. Think of Millennials as an artisan generation, for instance. The College Republican National Committee autopsy report on the 2012 election shows that they value how policies (regulations, taxes) will affect small businesses because they are a generation of aspiring entrepreneurs.
Also, concrete plans to cut government spending will make more impact than generic platitudes against the giant, faceless villain of big government.
Championing the importance of our civil liberties could be a huge issue for connecting youth and right-of-center politicians. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) just addressed students at Berkeley University on civil liberties and protecting our right to privacy. While not exactly a conservative bastion, he received a standing ovation.
And it is crucial to focus on equally empowering individuals in the face of an overreaching government that today is trying to suppress our freedoms and pick winners and losers.
Showing a willingness to fight to preserve our Constitution, maintain the integrity of our institutions and contain the growth of government beyond its original scope is worth the effort. Americans are sick of personal political power being a justifiable excuse to trample our rights and pervert our Founders’ original intentions.
Our fight will be to demand policies such as these, while educating fellow Americans on the merits of freedom and the power of the individual.
We each arrive at our conservative political beliefs for varied reasons. Whether it be our faith, our heritage or our life experiences, there is nothing wrong with a multi-faceted conservative movement. But we must find enough in common to save this Republic before we drown under the weight of unsustainable government.
Now if we can only find a leader who can unite us on these principles.
