For our country, I want smooth roads, good schools, safe bridges, a group monitoring my water, someone safely guiding planes, a military, an agency checking that my food and medication are safe, a court system to enforce laws, regulators watching out for stock market cheats, services for those less fortunate, and on and on. I want a modern, first-world country. I’m happy to pay more taxes to achieve it, as well — as long as when some agency or law is not working, we can change it.

We’re the richest, best-off country in the world. Let’s make it better through a stronger and more transparent government.