My Approach to Public Policy - The Proper Role of Government

• I believe in a limited government, including the importance of making decisions at the lowest level of government that is practical.  
• I recognize that this means that many issues will be best addressed at the municipal level, or possibly lower, especially with a city the size of Provo.
• In a limited government framework, the best approach to public policy requires restraint in exercising the powers available to elected officials.  
• All issues that come before the city council should be handled through the following careful policy process:
• 1. Clearly identify the issue.  Often, most of the work in crafting good policy lies in framing the problem.  Policy makers must take the effort to figure out the root cause of the problem so that they do not end up simply treating the symptoms and leaving the cause unaddressed.
• 2. Craft an appropriate response.  With a clear understanding of the problem to be addressed, policy makers should then seek to put forward a solution that involves the least amount of government intervention possible.  The danger of exercising government power and the enemy of good public policy is the unintended consequence.  With a narrow approach to problem solving, unintended consequences and redistribution of wealth are minimized.