Jackson, Mississippi – A Jackson-based think tank today called on candidates and public officials to “put principle above politics and partisanship.”
The Mississippi Center for Public Policy (MCPP) has published a booklet titled Governing by Principle: A Framework for Governing. The 45-page “primer” lays out ten principles the Center believes public officials—and the public in general—should be guided by in evaluating public policy. The primer is being sent to all candidates for legislative, regional, and statewide office and to several thousand supporters of the Center throughout the state.
MCPP President Forest Thigpen said the primer is not intended only for candidates. He said, “We wrote this in conversational language so candidates and citizens can easily discuss the ideas. It will help some people articulate what they already believe, and it will introduce others to the concepts.” He said the issues faced by public officials will change somewhat from year to year, so “voters need to know what their candidates believe on foundational principles of governing. We also want people to understand their role as individuals in the process of governing.”
Thigpen said, “The ideas the Founders relied upon to frame our government came long before there were Republicans and Democrats. The principles we have identified transcend partisan politics and the transient issues of the day. In this publication we demonstrate that government is an important component of society, but government is not the answer to all of our problems.”
He said, “We believe the ten simple principles presented in Governing by Principle will help citizens and elected officials navigate the confusing labyrinth of competing ideologies, interests, and agendas. We hope all who serve in government will embrace these principles, helping to restore the vision the American Founders cast for our nation. By returning to the principles that guided them, we can restore their vision, even as we apply it in modern ways to our current generation.”
Governing by Principle is the signature publication in MCPP’s Governing by Principle Campaign that coincides with the 2007 elections in Mississippi. In addition to the primer, MCPP will publish other materials to help candidates understand the issues they will face.
“We hope people will get a copy of this booklet and ask candidates where they stand,” Thigpen said. He said the Center is offering the primer at no charge to individuals and to teachers who want to use it in their classrooms. To order call (601) 969-1300 or visit www.mspolicy.org
Mississippi Center for Public Policy is an independent, nonprofit, public policy organization based in Jackson. It works to promote and protect the concepts of limited government, free markets, and strong traditional families.