Values-Based Government

My Way of Working

In my work with organizations on leadership, service, and change, one of the first questions I ask is: What guides your decisions? When the foundation is clear, choices come faster, direction sharpens, and trust grows.

Government should be no different. Yet again and again, decisions bend toward lobbyists, headlines, or party calculations. That’s how trust erodes. I believe every action should be tested against five standards: Personal Responsibility, Stewardship, Fairness, Opportunity, and Accountability. When those principles set the course, results are steadier and outcomes stronger.

Values-based decisions also reduce compromise, guesswork, and drift — especially when the choices are hard. Choices that honor these standards move us forward. Choices that betray them don’t.

My Five Guiding Values

Personal Responsibility

Freedom works when people are able to meet their obligations — to their families, their communities, and themselves. But that only happens when the basics are in place. A child who’s hungry can’t focus in school. A veteran ready to meet his obligations can’t do it if the system keeps him from the care he needs and was promised. People want to do their part. The job of leadership is to clear the path so they can.

Stewardship

When something is placed in your care, you’re expected to look after it. That means keeping roads safe, schools strong, and public resources in good shape — not just for today, but for the years ahead. Stewardship includes health, too: catching problems early instead of waiting until they become expensive emergencies. And it means making sure we don’t dump today’s costs on tomorrow — like a credit card bill with interest you can never quite catch up to.

Fairness

Rules should apply the same way to everyone. Whether someone earns a paycheck or a dividend, whether they run a small shop or a large company, the standards should be clear and even. Fairness also means keeping public spaces and systems honest. A library belongs to the whole community. If government decides what people can read, that’s not fairness — that’s control.

Opportunity

People need a way forward. When there’s no opportunity, there’s no hope. And when there’s no hope, there’s no drive. Everyone should be able to believe they can make a better life than their parents did — that’s the American way and without change in Washington, something we are dangerously close to losing. Opportunity means access to training for real jobs, apprenticeships with local employers, licensing that doesn’t take months, and second chances for those who’ve made mistakes and paid their dues. Without those, doors don’t just close, they disappear. Nobody should be stuck just because of where they started.

Accountability

If public money is spent, people have a right to know where it went and what it funded. If work is paid for, it should be checked before another payment is made. If someone in power acts on behalf of the government — whether with a badge, a budget, or a title — that person should be identifiable and answerable. Elected officials shouldn’t hide behind screens or surround themselves with friendly audiences. They should show up and be ready to answer hard questions.

The Compass

When decisions match your values, they’re easier to make and easier to explain. When government creates barriers, bends the rules, or hides from view, it’s gone off course. This isn’t about left or right. It’s about doing what makes sense — and being willing to answer for it.