Declaration Of Principles

The conservative movement is in the throes of an identity crisis. Fealty to party and politicians has obscured the values that give substance to our public associations. Today in America, who you support has become more important than what you believe. As a result, the terms “conservative” and “Republican” are now mere team names that have lost all meaning.

This development spells troubling consequences for our republic. When our political choices cease to revolve around what we believe, we lose our independence. Politicians and parties realize that they can act with impunity. Accountability vanishes and power coalesces into the hands of the most cynical.

That’s why principles are so important. They anchor our politics to core values and ensure that those we elect today wield power tomorrow according to some blueprint larger than themselves. They don’t care which party you belong to. Principles define who we are, what we believe in, and the type of country we’ll become. That’s why we choose to put them first—before politicians and before party.

We declare the following principles as part of our commitment to holding our government and ourselves accountable to a higher standard. It is our hope that, by working to effect change at the grassroots level and develop more principled leadership, we can realize the more perfect union our Founders envisioned.

List of Principles

1. Integrity, character, & virtue matter.

The strength of our republic depends upon the moral conviction of our elected officials. If we don't pick inherently trustworthy people to lead us, they will bring the character of the country down with them. Unethical and immoral behavior can never become the norm.

2. Every person has dignity, quality, and worth.

We are all created in the image of God. Each of us deserves the same level of respect and dignity from our government and fellow countrymen. All citizens are Americans and none of us is more American than any other.

3. Truth, honesty, rationality, & facts are non-negotiable.

No one is entitled to their own facts – regardless of party. Data isn't something to be afraid of and intelligence isn't something to demean. We aspire to an objective political discourse that is uncompromisingly honest. The currency of good ideas must again be their rationality and logical persuasiveness, rather than how loudly they are shouted.

4. The Constitution and the rule of law are paramount.

The law is a great equalizer. No one is above it. It maintains order and commits us to common rules. The Constitution isn't perfect, but its mix of individual rights, enumerated and separated powers, checks, and balances is the greatest formulation of self-government yet devised. The rule of law and the Constitution must be defended.

5. Our government is a limited one with enumerated powers.

There are plenty of things that government could do, but only certain things that government can do. The Framers specifically enumerated the powers of Congress in Article I, Section 8 – everything else was left to the states and to the people. Whichever challenges the government chooses to tackle, it must tackle them within the boundaries laid down by the Constitution.

6. Congress writes laws, the executive executes laws, and the courts interpret laws.

Each of the branches have a clearly defined constitutional role. They ought to remain within their respective spheres of authority and zealously guard them against encroachment. We were not meant to be ruled by emergency declaration or an expansive bureaucracy. Such an imbalance should not persist.

7. Government closest to the people is most accountable.

When the government performs one of its enumerated powers, it should do so at the lowest level that can effectively accomplish the goal. This limits the social cost of bad policy and permits experimentation and adaptation across differing local needs. One size very rarely fits all.

8. People reach their full potential when they are free.

People are meant to be free, not controlled. They often achieve more when left to their own devices to organically work together towards shared goals instead of at the state's direction.

9. Free and functioning markets deliver prosperity.

When barriers to entry are low and sufficient competition exists, the free market is the single-greatest mechanism that the world has ever known for allocating scarce resources, making goods more accessible, improving the human condition, & driving innovation and progress.

10. Equality of opportunity, not equality of outcomes.

We believe the pursuit of happiness requires a fair shot at success, but does not guarantee a particular outcome. And for good reason. Opportunity empowers us to push toward our own better versions of happiness, while a guarantee dampens that uniquely American spirit and often leaves us all worse off.

11. Government must responsibly steward resources for the next generation.

The government oversees the people's money and other resources – not its own. As a result, it has a duty to manage the public fisc, public lands, and other public resources responsibly and in the long-term interest of the people. Ever-growing debt is a national security risk and our environment will be the same one our kids inherit. We have a moral duty to leave things better and more secure than we found them.

12. Civic associations, faith communities, and families should be the primary engines of our culture - not the state.

We should not entrust our culture to the outcomes of our elections. Instead, we should let American culture be the product of the civic associations, faith communities, and families that comprise the great fabric of our country. Limited government and small-l liberalism make this possible.

13. Strong families are the building blocks of society

A strong family is a significant determinant of a child's success and does more to develop children than any government program ever will. As such, a family has utility and worth no matter what form it takes. Each and every family unit – regardless of its shape – deserves to thrive in America.

14. Sovereignty is critical to self-government.

The principle of national sovereignty permits us to successfully govern ourselves. Part of that principle is the constitutional duty to define immigration laws and ensure they are enforced. To that end, borders matter and should be secured. However, enforcing our laws should never require us to deny humane treatment to anyone.

15. America's role in the world is unique and important.

The United States cannot afford to be the world's policeman, but it cannot afford to be a passive bystander either. We live in an increasingly connected world where the oceans that separate us from our enemies are no longer buffers. Possessing the strongest military in the world is both a strategic advantage and moral responsibility – and we must wield it with purpose and circumspection.

by Rod Williams, Sept. 17, 2025- The above are principles to which I subscribe. This more closely aligns with my views than anything I have come across recently. This is from the organization Principle First.

It was not so long ago that all people who think of themselves as conservative would have subscribed to these principles. It is hard for me to fathom how people I have known my whole life can have gone from being principled conservatives to authoritarian populist who have abandoned their believe in separation of powers, states rights, federalism, the constitution, the peaceful transfer of power, collective security, America's leadership role in the world, reducing the national debt, limited government, free trade, opposition to socialism, and the conservative tradition and sensibility of dignity, decorum, civil discourse, and respect for norms and traditions.

I also see the same thing in the Party and conservative organizations as I do in individuals.  I have been a Republican my whole life, and more than just a casual Republican, I have been a well-informed movement conservative steeped in ideas. I attended CPAC in 2011 and 2014. I loved the experience. The various breakout sessions addressed serious issues and featured prominent scholars and policymakers. In 2014, Donald Trump was a rising political figure, but he was shunned by CPAC. He was not invited to speak. Now, the lineup at CPAC is a clown show of simple-minded provocateurs and populist rabble-rousers and an orgy of Trump worship. 

I don't know what the future holds post-Trump, but the beliefs that once defined conservatism need to be propagated and kept alive for the battles ahead.

Here is more information on the organization Principles First:

In 2019, principled Americans on the right and center-right who were concerned about the health of American democracy organized a series of meet-ups around the country to serve as an alternative to the Conservative Political Action Conference. Today, that movement has grown into Principles First.

We are a nationwide grassroots movement of people who share a love of American democracy and concern for the direction of our existing conservative leadership. We’ve watched as institutions on the right have been hijacked or co-opted by bad-faith actors willing to put politics and personality over principle. And we’ve seen those in positions of leadership compromise themselves out of cynical self-interest.

We believe good-faith Americans deserve something better.

We’re building an alternative to the partisan doom-loop. Principles First holds an annual Summit in Washington, D.C. to serve as an alternative to CPAC. We convene local chapters to effect change at the community level. We elevate principled leaders around the country. And we speak out as a voice of clarity at a time when cheap partisan tribalism has become the norm.

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