Policymakers can’t see the forest for the trees

With all the executive orders and the big beautiful bill plus the recent government shutdown, how does one decide what is good policy and what is not. The answer is to make sure you see the forest. The forest is the Preamble to the Constitution that states the six major goals of the Constitution. “We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Does sending troops into cities “insure” domestic tranquility, or does this action make cities less tranquil? Does making cuts to Medicaid promote the general welfare or does it hurt the general welfare? Does alienating our allies hurt our common defense or does it help? The trees are these policies, laws, and executive orders. Every American should be able to state the preamble and know the six major goals our nation is striving for. If any action by our government does not help achieve one of those major goals or takes away from these goals it is bad policy and should be stopped. See the forest.

Darryl Syverson

Strawberry Point