Too often we conservatives define ourselves in terms of what we are against. And while it is important to oppose the policies of an overreaching and unsustainable federal government, we must also make a positive case for conservative ideas; ideas that create a space for a conservative vision of society to flourish.

The foundational insight of this vision is the belief that the essence of of human freedom, of civilization itself, is cooperation. Cooperation between husbands and wives; parents and children; families and congregations; businesses and customers; entrepreneurs and employees; clubs, teams, and associations.

Freedom doesn’t mean “you’re on your own.” It means “we’re all in this together.”

This conservative vision for society is not anti-government. Civil society depends on a just, transparent, and accountable government to enforce the rule of law.

But a government that tries to do too many things can end up stifling human cooperation instead of enabling it. Big government turns citizens into supplicants, capitalists into cronies, and cooperative communities, into competing special interests.

In a free and civil society, your success depends on how well you serve others.

In a society dependent on big government, success is determined by how many votes you can buy with other people’s money.

The items in the conservative agenda below are designed to enhance human cooperation by limiting the size and scope of a federal government which the vast majority of Americans says is far too big and does not trust.