I believe in Individual Freedom.
The political philosopher John Locke, in his Two Treatises of Government, argued that men by nature are free and equal. This argument ran counter to the prevailing theory of politics at the time that claimed God had made all people naturally subject to a monarch. Locke argued that individuals have rights such as the right to life, liberty, health, and property.
These rights, Locke argued, form an independent foundation for the laws of a society. Government then, is a social contract where people transfer some of their rights to the government to ensure the stable & comfortable enjoyment of their own individual lives, liberty, and property.
Thus, government exists with the consent of the people to protect the rights of the people.
Our nation was inspired by Locke’s bold declaration – that people by nature, have unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I firmly believe that our constitutional republic is what makes us exceptional. This exceptionalism is why my family fled a communist country and chose to make this country our home.
I believe in Limited Government.
Government exists because of the consent of the governed. Maximizing individual freedom requires limited government. Our U.S. Constitution also contains important checks on the government – separation of powers and a system of checks and balances. Our federalist mode of government, decentralized authority, and the elimination of unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy ensures that government serves the people. Our Idaho Constitution differs from the U.S. Constitution in that it focuses on limiting power rather than granting it and offers more details regarding the day-to-day relationship between the state and its people.
I believe that the best form of government is the one closest to the people and the best solutions are those that work at the local level.
States complain about the federal government having too much power but fail to realize that they exercise that same degree of power over local governments.
I believe in the Rule of Law.
John Adams said that our republic is “a government of laws, not men.” Laws are the mechanism that we use to ensure the freedom of every individual. Laws regulate behavior to maintain ordered liberty in a society and they must be enforced. Criminal laws should be enforced by law enforcement -- not private citizens.
The communist country I was born into kept control because friends and family members were informants for the Securitate. The social fabric breaks when laws are enforced by private citizens with no obligation to comply with constitutional safeguards.
Moreover, I believe that Justice is the application of those laws to an individual in a manner that is fair, impartial, and proper.
Lastly, government functions best when it is transparent and accountable to its citizens.
I believe in Fiscal Responsibility.
Fiscal Responsibility is the balance between government spending and taxation.
Fiscal responsibility means not only balancing the government’s budget, but it also means adequately funding the services that government is required to provide while also accounting for every dollar spent.
To me, fiscal responsibility also means making capital improvements for our future needs as our state grows and resources become scarcer.
I believe in Free Markets.
I believe in capitalism because it is the economic system that rewards those who work hard and innovate. I was born in a communist country where the government owned the means of production and people were paid for their work according to their abilities and needs. Communism does not foster innovation or competition.
Capitalism allows people the opportunity to chase their dreams whereas communism kills the will to dream and achieve. I also believe that free markets work best when government interference is at its lowest level and that free markets are vital to our state’s economic prosperity.
I believe in Personal Responsibility.
With individuality comes responsibility. Our history as a country is rooted in the idea that your ancestors matter far less than you do. A person rises or falls solely on his own achievement or his own failure. I believe that an individual is accountable for his or her behavior and the consequences that flow from that behavior, both good and bad.
People should be judged by their character and their actions rather than their race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, or disability.
Because all individuals are by nature free and equal, every human life has dignity and value.
I also believe that public policy should always emphasize education and the virtue of hard work as the pathway out of poverty and that public assistance should be reserved for those who are truly in need.