Maybe this well help us understand each other, or make you think about your debates. For example, what do you beleive is the purpose of govt? Or as politics is sometimes defined, social relations involving authority or power. Please keep it simple, and provide of an example of how your philosophy is applied. And please let everyone have a chance to post before you flame them.

For myself, politics is a tool to protect my own self interests, acknowleding that I have to work with others to protect myself and pursue happiness using voluntarily shared resources. Primarily this takes the form of physical defense. I require that my neigbors do not do things that will hurt me, and I agree with them to likewise not do things that will hurt them. We also group together to enhance our protection against outside forces who may not be involved in our group. Politics is therefore required to negotiate our mutal needs and voluntary actions or inactions to meet those needs.

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"To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his father has acquired too much, in order to spare to others who (or whose fathers) have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, "to guarantee to everyone a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it."

-Thomas Jefferson

Basically the FEDERAL governments primary role is national defense.
Everything else should be a distant second to that.

My political philosophy is based on individual responsibility.
You have the right to succeed and keep the benefits of your hard work, and you have the right to fail, however you do not have the right to expect payment for it.
America is (well was) a country based on you reap what you sow....which is exactly why America became the most powerful nation in the world in such an incredible short time.

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The government cannot give without first taking.

the quote in my signature sums it up pretty well.

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"My country is the world, and my religion is to do good." --Thomas Paine

Wow. I could really open up this can of worms but won't. I'll keep it brief. I think that the Declaration of Independence sums it up nicely for me.

Basically,
1. God grants us rights.
2. They are inalienable because they come from Him and not man (government included in that statement).
3. Government exists to secure and protect our God-given rights.
4. Government gets the power to do so from the just consent of the people it governs.
5. The Constitution is the way our government is to fulfill these responsibilities and any violation of the Constitution goes against these principles. (This one is does not come from the Declaration but is true nonetheless)

I suppose by saying this it reveals why I am often upset with our federal government.

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"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, ... That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men,"
-Declaration of Independence

Two truths that many Americans seem to have forgotten:
1. Men are endowed by God with inalienable rights.
2. Government's purpose is to secure man's God-given rights.

Good for a quote...a bit simplistic to clarify a political philosophy.

A basic political philosophy for instance would state your preference for how the benefit of labor is handled.

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The government cannot give without first taking.

stole from libertarian: people are free to act so long as it does not impose on the life, liberty or property of another.

the federal govt's role is mainly to manage our dealings with the rest of the world (treaties, conflict, general interaction among nations) among the executive, address Constitutionally mandated actions and their funding among the legislature and the judicial for disagreements and violation of law.

State govt, simlilar to fed only between states.

local, see to the needs that the community wishes it to do.

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Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

Jesus loves you, allah wants you dead

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

Ayn Rand

i disagree. my opinions on specific issues vary on almost a daily basis. for me to come out and start explaining my philosophy on the economy or social issues would be dishonest because i'm constantly revising and thinking about my views.

for me, "my country is the world" means that i don't like to draw up borders and play the "us against them" game that a lot of people interested in politics like to play. "my religion is to do good" means that i believe in doing the right thing and only acting on good intentions.

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"My country is the world, and my religion is to do good." --Thomas Paine

The role of government is to maintain justice in society.

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"Jesus said: I have cast fire upon the world, and behold I guard it until it is ablaze."
Gospel of Thomas

Don't look like we are going to get anywhere here.

D.L> "maintain justice"...that is to open. I mean your definition of justice will be very different from someone else's, who will be different from so and so etc. etc.

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The government cannot give without first taking.

well to be fair iam you could say that about your post as well. your definition of "having the right to succeed" is going to be different from mine.

i mean, what happens when a private citizen tramples on another private citizen's "right to succeed" through "unfair" (whatever that means) market practices such as forming cartels or monopolies?

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"My country is the world, and my religion is to do good." --Thomas Paine

Fair enough.

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The government cannot give without first taking.

Which is probably why we have such variety in government.

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"Jesus said: I have cast fire upon the world, and behold I guard it until it is ablaze."
Gospel of Thomas

How about I list the things I think the government should do, and then the things the government should NOT do.

The federal government should be fiscally responsible, not spending more than it brings in in revenue.
The federal government should be responsible for the national defense.
The federal government should regulate industry for things that directly relate to public health and safety (manufacturer seatbelt requirements, anti-pollution laws).
The federal government should fund entities which are part of our national identity (national parks, NASA, NIH, NIST).
The federal government should fund fundamental research in areas that industry has shown to ignore or doesn't have the resources to pursue (NIST, NASA, NSF).
The federal government should adhere to its constitutional role for treaties, diplomacy, etc with foreign powers.
The federal government should act as a safety net of last resort for people who otherwise cannot care for themselves and for which state and local solutions are not present.
The federal government should decide when to print more money, NOT a consortium of banks.


Here are the things I think the government should NOT be doing.
The federal government should NOT be a nanny-state making sure you wear your seatbelts or helmets or that you have 5 balanced food groups a day, or even that you don't smoke. (its fine for them to recommend those things, but not to require them)
The federal government should NOT be trumping state laws except for issues which are constitutional in nature.
The federal government should NOT be blackmailing states (federal funding threats).
The federal government should NOT be nation building or policing the world except by volunteering forces to participate in the UN for UN-approved police actions.
The federal government should NOT be paving the way for american corporations to exploit other countries and their people.
The federal government should NOT be bailing out private enterprise.
The federal government should NOT be subsidizing private enterprise.




Notice the distinction that I think the federal government DOES have a proper role in making sure you HAVE a seatbelt to wear in your vehicle, but they DON'T have a role to require you to wear it. The first issue is a public health and safety issue, the second issue is a nanny-state issue. Most of my problems with the federal government is it overwhelmingly does things to favor corporations to the detriment of the individual citizens of this country, and it should actually be serving the interests of the individual citizens not giant corporations.

add "according to federal, state and local laws" and that may be a nice nutshell answer.

or not

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Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

Jesus loves you, allah wants you dead

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

Ayn Rand

Ok, you guys are part way there. I looking at philosophy here, not specifically the US govt. It doesnt even have to be federal govt, but basic social structures between people. The same principles that govern a marriage or a homeowners associations should extend to global or city governments. You may even have to delve into the purpose of life itself. And yes, try and keep it simple. Assume you are one of the few humans on earth and govts dont exist. Why would you form a social group with another, and what principles, rules, etc, should it have.

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"To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his father has acquired too much, in order to spare to others who (or whose fathers) have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, "to guarantee to everyone a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it."

-Thomas Jefferson