In government we trust, and question

America stands at a paradox of trust. We are caught between two equal halves of our nation. On the one hand, we trust government, seeking its unity and ability to change our lives. But we are also wary of our governing institutions, with their mighty power to uproot, interfere and generally get in the way.

This isn't a partisan issue, nor is it an ideological one. Conventional wisdom says that liberals trust government, and conservatives don't. That's only partially true. Liberals do trust government for their ends, such as the New Deal or industry regulation. Conservatives trust government, too, but for security and defense.

Distrust also cuts across ideological lines. Conservatives naturally distrust the government that makes too many regulations, that interferes, to varying degrees, with people's lives. Liberals see the same government they look to for help as often a bulwark of the oppressor, keeping tabs on the downtrodden to stave off reforms of the social order.

What's amazing to watch, though, is the extent to which distrust and misgivings are so easily forgotten. Each side is so blinded by what they want government to do that they forget the dangers.

For years, liberals trusted the federal government, and often would work to deprive states of power. This action was based on their belief that the federal government would "do the right thing." They spent much of the middle part of the century gleefully adding powers to the federal mandate. They continue to do so, recently working to charter the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board as a new regulator and watchdog of auditors. The federal government had been reformed in the 1930's, and now it could be trusted with power.

Conservatives' trust leans towards the security side. For years, they worked to give more power to the Pentagon and the intelligence communities.

At the same time, both liberals and conservatives have remained wary of an over-arching federal government. Both sides have a love-hate relationship with it, worrying that it'll end up siding with a political opponent. Empowering the government now may mean empowering your opponents in the future.

Consider the contradiction posed by the Bush agenda. Bush tells his constituency: trust me on security. Trust that I'm using your money in your best interests. Trust that the increased powers of security will always be used to protect America.

And then he says we need a tax cut because you can handle your money better than the government.

The liberal agenda contains the same contradiction. Trust government to help, educate and uplift you and to regulate in the public interest. But be wary: that same government could come after you at any moment.

It's a curious trap. How can one use the beast without it taking over and becoming the master? In effect, we must always be engaged in a kind of trust double-think, trusting and distrusting the government at the same time.

Healthy trust and distrust of government, therefore, should always be maintained, whether in power or out. In power, one must always remember that one could be out. The Bill of Rights is about not trusting that the next guy in power will be your friend. Americans shouldn't view those rights as nit picky things that get in the way, but as forcing the party in power to make a case.

So for those who believe that higher security requires a trade-off in civil rights and liberties, remember that it's not about letting people off. It's about keeping the security people honest. For conservatives, that stops government from later turning its greedy power towards your property.

If we're going to have a discussion about our rights in the modern era, then that's the mindset we should enter with. Government can be a tremendous force for good. But it can also be a powerful engine of evil. Against both we must guard.