Maximum Self Government

Bottom Line Up Front:  When people govern themselves, communities flourish in diversity and innovation. We’ve seen this in Colorado’s past: pioneering towns built by settlers with minimal central control. They formed volunteer fire departments, mutual aid societies, and schools long before heavy state involvement. We want to rekindle that spirit. Government will foster a climate for private charities and churches to address social issues (addiction, homelessness, poverty) rather than assuming only bureaucrats can do it. Often, civil society approaches are more compassionate and effective. For example, instead of the state attempting a one-size fits-all homeless program, we support funding partnerships with community nonprofits that help individuals off the street in a personalized way.

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Maximum Self-Government also means an engaged citizenry. We’ll promote civic education so citizens know how to influence local decisions. We trust Coloradans to make wise choices when informed – and even if sometimes mistakes happen, freedom includes the freedom to learn and correct course. In the end, a self-governing people is the best guardian of liberty. Our administration’s policies aim to remove the crutches of overregulation and paternalism and give Coloradans the space to walk – and run – on their own. In doing so, we believe we will see a resurgence of personal responsibility, community spirit, and prosperity that no top-down program could ever replicate.

 

a. Core Belief: Maximum Self-Government means empowering individuals, families, and local communities to govern themselves as much as possible, with minimal imposition from distant authorities. This flows from our conviction that people have God-given capacity and the freedom to make decisions about their own lives. The Bible highlights personal responsibility and self-control as virtues (Galatians 5:22-23 lists self-control as fruit of the Spirit, noting “against such there is no law” – implying that a self-governed people need fewer laws). Our Founders echoed this: John Adams famously stated, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” In other words, maximum liberty works when citizens govern their own behavior according to moral standards. We believe Colorado’s people are capable of great things when free: starting businesses, educating their children, forming charities, and solving problems from the grassroots. Government should protect the environment in which this can happen – ensuring safety and fair rules – but then step back and let self-governance thrive.

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b. Constitutional & Practical Justification: The Tenth Amendment reserves powers to the people for a reason. The American tradition of local town halls, juries of peers, and civic associations is all about self-government. Maximum self-government means issues are handled at the lowest possible level. If a family can handle it, government shouldn’t – if a city can handle it, the state shouldn’t interfere – if the state can handle it, the federal government should stay out. This principle aligns with “subsidiarity” – a constitutional arrangement where higher levels only assist when lower levels truly cannot manage. We want to devolve power to individuals and communities. This includes expanding choice in education (parents self-governing their children’s schooling), healthcare (patients choosing plans/providers), and economics (free market decisions, not central plans).

 

c. Colorado Policy Conflicts: Over time, Colorado has accumulated laws that assume politicians or bureaucrats know better than citizens how to run their lives. We will reverse that presumption:

 

1. Healthcare and Personal Decisions: Colorado has been a leader in legalizing personal choices (like marijuana, etc.), reflecting some respect for individual freedom. But in other areas, we saw heavy-handed mandates (e.g. during COVID, statewide mask and vaccine mandates for certain workers, capacity limits, etc.). While public health is vital, a maximally self-governing approach would trust and educate citizens to make good choices rather than enforce one-size mandates except in extreme necessity. We advocate for vaccine choice (see specific section) and generally for health freedom: e.g., allowing individuals more access to alternative treatments or direct primary care arrangements without state barriers. We also support right to try experimental medications for the terminally ill – trusting patients and doctors over bureaucrats.

 

2. Welfare & Dependency: Colorado offers extensive public assistance programs, which while well-intentioned, can sometimes create dependency and disincentivize work. Self-government flourishes when individuals are self-reliant (see Self-Reliance section). We will reform welfare with work requirements and effective job training, as historically proven in the 1990s. We believe most people want to thrive by their own effort – government policy should encourage that, not inadvertently trap them in generational dependence. As the saying goes, “The best social program is a job.” We will focus on economic growth and remove barriers for people to start businesses (cutting red tape, licensing fees) so they can govern their own economic destiny.

 

3. Education: Maximum self-government in education means empowering parents and students. Colorado has some school choice (open enrollment, charter schools), but we can go further. We propose a universal Education Savings Account (ESA) program, so state education funds follow the student to the school of their choice – public, private, or homeschool. That is self-government: families deciding rather than government assigning. Unfortunately, previous attempts like the Douglas County voucher program were struck down due to the Blaine Amendment. We support repealing Colorado’s Blaine Amendment (which forbids aid to “sectarian” schools) through a ballot measure, because it blocks parents from self-directing education funding (this relates to School of Choice Uninfringed). We also encourage homeschool freedom – keeping regulations minimal – because parents have the right to self-govern their children’s education as they see fit.