I am committed to limited government. I, along with other Utahns, share the beliefs that 1) government exists to benefit mankind, 2) our American form of a democratic republic works best to secure freedom, and 3) its layers of processes – from its federalism to its checks and balances to its enumerated powers to its inalienable rights – coordinate and integrate a government of the people, for the people and by the people.

I accept that limited government rests on several attributes: local self-government (the government closest to the people is best-suited to make decisions of the people), personal responsibility, an essential balance between self-reliance and charitable giving, a humane rule of law, stable and autonomous families, the maintenance and integrity of private enterprise and community organizations, and the interdependent fabric of social community.

These processes and attributes combine to create limited government.

The primary role and function of state and local governments are to provide a just and orderly system of laws that allow maximum freedom for individuals and communities to safely intersect, effectively interact, and honestly transact with one another. State and local governments should defer action to the private sector whenever possible, and should only be a last resort in providing direct benefits to Utahns.

In my commitment to limited government, at least four principles will govern my official actions:

1. Honoring local self-government.  Also known as " subsidiarity " we should look to the smallest unit of government in solving personal and community problems – beginning with ourselves, then linking individuals to families, families to neighborhoods, neighborhoods to local government, local government to state government, and state government to federal government, in that order of responsibility.
2. Protecting the integrity of the free market.  The free market is necessarily characterized by a legal and moral framework. Laws governing private property (the injunction to not take what is not yours), contracts (the requirement to keep your promises), and torts (the obligation to make good on wrongs you inflict on others) must be protected. The free market should be relied upon to generally arbitrate economic development, and state or local governments should not be permitted to compete with or subsidize private businesses.
3. Unburdening and uplifting Utah’s families.  State and local taxes, regulations, and intrusions should be held to a minimum – only enough to maintain basic order, essential infrastructure, and "safety nets" underlying the general welfare. Proven family structures that unburden society should be encouraged.
4. Creating transparent and open government processes.  State and local taxpayers should have open and easy access to the many layers of government for purposes of accountability, made easier in an era of high technology that increases efficient and inexpensive opportunities for transparency.

If limited government means anything, it means Utah’s state and local governments keeping their reach, scope, and intrusions in the private sector, and in the lives of functional families, to a necessary minimum in the orderly maintenance of society.

I affirm,