The auditorium at Sheridan High School filled with folks of all ages this past Wednesday to honor Constitution Day.
After a challenging trivia quiz, one of the "We The People" teams treated us to a mock debate exploring the power of the courts. Retired Wyoming Chief Justice Marilyn Kite provided insights into the state judiciary.
While I listened, I thought about the Constitution as a whole and wondered how many in that room, young and old, truly understand that the 52 words of the Preamble aren't just historical poetry. They're the blueprint for every government service we fund, from your county sheriff to your child's school lunch program.
The Preamble to the Constitution isn't a suggestion. It's a job description. When the founders wrote "We the People...do ordain and establish this Constitution," they were creating a contract. Government exists to fulfill six specific purposes, and every tax dollar, every program, every government function should trace back to one of those purposes.
That matters here in Wyoming because we're constantly debating what government should and shouldn't do. We hear complaints about "government overreach" whenever funding comes up for schools, public health, or emergency services. But here's the thing: the founders already settled this debate. They told us exactly what government is supposed to do.
The problem is rarely that we have too much government in the state. We've forgotten how to evaluate what government does against the Constitution's own measuring stick. Every time someone challenges a program or service, we should ask one simple question: which part of the Preamble does this serve? If it doesn't serve one of those six purposes, maybe we shouldn't fund it. If it does, then the founders already gave us permission.
When your house is on fire, you don't call a private company. You call the volunteer fire department that your community funds. When cattle rustlers hit your neighbor's ranch, the county sheriff responds with tax-funded resources. These aren't government overreach; they're constitutional obligations.
The founders knew that justice and domestic tranquility require local responders who know the territory and the people. Your county commissioners funding the sheriff's department aren't expanding government. They're fulfilling the Constitution's promise that you can live and work without fear.
Here's where the real arguments start.
Critics claim "promote the general welfare" wording justifies unlimited spending on anything. But look at what it funds in Wyoming: the county health nurse who tracks disease outbreaks before they spread, the extension agent who helps ranchers manage drought, the road crew that keeps Farm-to-Market roads passable.
These aren't handouts. They're infrastructure that keeps communities functional.
The founders used "general welfare," not "individual welfare." That means programs that benefit the whole community, not special interests. When the school board funds buses to get rural kids to school, that's general welfare because an educated workforce benefits everyone. When the state health department monitors water quality, that's general welfare because clean water protects whole communities. The question isn't whether government should promote welfare, but whether specific programs serve the general good or narrow interests.
Defense isn't just about foreign threats. When the Wyoming National Guard fills sandbags during spring flooding, when search and rescue volunteers are equipped and trained through state funding, when your county emergency management coordinator coordinates responses to blizzards, that's common defense in action.
The founders understood that threats to life and property come in many forms. Your tax dollars funding emergency preparedness aren't government expansion. They're constitutional requirements updated for Wyoming's geography and climate.
Here's what this means for Wyoming: the next time someone complains about "big government" spending on schools, health services, or emergency response, they're not making a conservative argument. They're rejecting the Constitution. True conservatism honors the founding documents and applies them consistently.
Wyoming has always been practical about government. We don't want waste, we don't want overreach, but we do want services that work. The Preamble gives us the framework to tell the difference. Programs that establish justice, ensure tranquility, provide defense, promote general welfare, form a more perfect union, and secure liberty? Those are constitutional imperatives, not optional luxuries.
The real government overreach happens when politicians ignore these constitutional purposes or when programs serve narrow interests instead of the general welfare. Use the Preamble as your constitutional compass; it's more reliable than political rhetoric.
Save these six purposes somewhere you can find them: establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for common defense, promote general welfare, form a more perfect union, secure liberty.
The next time you hear someone challenge government funding, ask which constitutional purpose it serves. If it serves one clearly, then the argument isn't about whether government should do it, the founders already decided that. The argument is about whether we're doing it well.
That's a conversation worth having. It's also what makes the difference between thoughtful citizenship and reactive complaint.
