Catherine's Principles of Good Government

While I call this "Catherine's" list, I do not intend to imply that the principles were somehow my creation.  This is simply a compilation of the nuggets of truth I've been able to discover so far, as I've studied our founding documents and the words of our Founding Fathers.  When we know and understand true principles, we are better able to make correct choices and to act upon them with confidence.

• Rights are unalienable and given by our creator, not by the government.
• The people can delegate to government the protection of their rights (but the rights are still retained by the people)
• The main purpose of government is to protect the right to free exercise of conscience or liberty, the protection of the right and control of property, and to protect life.
• Government should have limited powers
• Government cannot be vested with authority that you, as an individual, do not have.
• The people are superior to the government they create.
• Individual rights do not overlap.
• The force of government should only be brought against someone to protect rights from imminent danger or to claim restitution for rights infringed.
• Punishments must be equal to the crime.
• The governmental powers were separated into three separate entities as a means to safeguard our rights.  The legislative, executive and judicial are all limited in power, each with the ability to check and balance the force of the others and all three being required for the government to operate effectively.
• Any governmental function going beyond those enumerated in the constitution is a form of tyranny and usurpation of power.
• The constitution is based on the principle of representation as a restraining force on "pure democracy".
• We are designed as a democratic-republic where the majority vote upon representatives and the representatives administer the law.
• The rights of the people are not to be subject to majority vote.
• Our government was designed to work only for a moral and religious people.
• Government owes us nothing but the protection of rights for which it was created.
• We cannot expect a higher level of morality from our representatives than we ourselves live.
• We are equal in our rights and before the law.
• Without the protection of property rights, all other rights are in jeapardy.
• No law should be passed unless designed to protect the freedom, liberty and wellbeing of the people.
• The level of government with the most power should be the closest to the people.
• The lowest level of government that can accomplish a given task should be responsible for doing so, meaning the majority of governance takes place on a local level.

This list isn't meant to be exhaustive.  I am sure there are more principles of good government that I have yet to learn.  As the Founding Father's were constant students of history, law, government, and human nature, I too seek to continually increase my learning and knowledge of true principles and their application.