Five Principles for Judging A Candidate
August 2006
At the height of summer most people are not thinking about the upcoming primary election on September 19th, or the general election on November 7th. Most of us have more important things to think about, like taking a family road trip, firing up the barbecue, or enjoying a cool evening at the end of the work day.
Before long, though, we'll be called on to do something people in most countries never have a chance to do – decide who is going to govern us. Our democratic system is founded on the principle that people have certain fundamental rights, and that the purpose of government is to protect these rights, so we can live peacefully together within a system of ordered liberty.
There is a persistent danger, however, of government itself becoming the greatest threat to our rights. In Washington, the threat is not a direct assault; it occurs subtly, through the continuous expansion of regulations and programs, and the incremental rise in taxes, rules and punishments that goes with it.
This tendency is furthered by special interests that benefit from government spending. These interests are always ready to argue for more taxes and bigger programs, while downplaying the higher cost and new constraints imposed on ordinary citizens.
Therefore, limiting the power of government is not just about saving money, it is about protecting our rights. Since most of the people employed by government and the interests that benefit from public spending have little incentive to restrain the reach of the state, this task falls to the people and their elected representatives.
As primary and general election days approach, here are five principles voters can use to judge candidates running for office. How closely candidates say they will stick to these principles tells us how well they will deal with the day to day business of governing.
1. Exercise budget discipline. Government has no competitors and cannot be put out of business, so office holders are under constant pressure to channel public money to narrow special interests. Lawmakers generally find it easy to be generous with other people's money – especially when most people tend not to notice.
But overspending results in a pervading sense of financial crisis and recurring calls for tax increases. Office holders show respect for working people when they manage the public's money the way they manage their own.
2. Focus on core functions. People in government tend to benefit when government takes on more tasks. That is why it is so important for policymakers to keep government focused on its core functions. Government can only do so much, and public agencies are most effective when they strive for excellence by doing a few things well.
3. Respect property. Private property is the foundation of a free society. Property rights give citizens the means to defend all their other rights, to pursue their dreams and provide charity to those in need. When government takes property in the form of taxes, or reduces its value through regulation, or seizes it outright through eminent domain, it makes it harder for citizens to defend their rights, pursue their dreams or help others.
People in government should keep taxation and regulation to a minimum. When government officials respect property, they respect the people who earned or created it.
4. Use voluntary incentives, not coercion, whenever possible. Public officials should favor voluntary incentives, so citizens do not feel they are the helpless objects of rules imposed from above. Washington lawmakers have enacted radical top-down changes in the past, only to see them fail due to lack of popular support. In contrast, persuasion and voluntary action ensure that important reforms will be popularly supported and enduring.
5. Resist political pressure from public sector unions. Public sector unions represent one part of government (public employees) organized to lobby another part of government (the legislature). Because government cannot go out of business, there is no limit to the demands that public union leaders can make on the treasury, especially since each expansion of government increases the money unions receive from monthly dues.
Public employees should receive fair compensation for the work they do. But government is about more than providing high paying jobs. If a government program or service no longer makes sense, elected officials who respect taxpayers will end it, and devote the savings to effective programs, or toward reducing the tax burden on citizens.
The purpose of government is to serve the people, not the other way around. By rating candidates based on these five principles, voters can make sure that government in Washington is focused, effective and limited.