Given that I talk a lot about politics and government, I figured it was about time for me to define what I believe the role of the government in America should be. Ultimately, I consider myself a moderate because their are some views I am liberal on and some views I am conservative on. However, in our current political structure, I usually define myself as a Republican. This is because I believe government should be as small as possible, and unlike most people who say that, I mean it.

The government has two jobs: 1) protect us from others and 2) do only what no other entity can do. The first one is self explanatory. Whether it is the neighbor boy breaking in to steal DVDs or terrorists threatening thousands of American lives, the government should see itself ultimately as an enabler of public order. On a side note, this function is not the same as protecting us from ourselves (which is why I am against the seatbelt law), but I digress.

The second role is the one that most people have a hard time with. Because this means free-market and unregulated business - which conservatives like. This also means allowing for morally unacceptable things that don't "necessarily" hurt anybody directly (i.e. homosexuality & pornography) - which liberals like. This allows for things like Medicare, social security and welfare as an auxiliary method of care taking. However, it shouldn't be the crutch it has turned into. it also means forging ahead in large scale research as well as diplomacy abroad. It means defending the helpless anywhere in the world from evil dictators, but not imperializing the planet (we can leave that up to businesses if the market allows for it, right?). Taxes shouldn't necessarily be low, but rather, at an acceptable level that allows for a balanced budget for a smaller Government.

Anything beyond these two points, in my belief, is beyond the role of a modern government.

So where does charity come into all this. For too long Americans have depended on the US Government to take care of the poor and disenfranchised. Yet this brings about no real change - it just stabilizes the necessities. Change happens when we choose on a personal level to invest ourselves in the lives of others (and I am not just talking about money). This should be the definition of all of our roles in society.