Where have you ever seen a mainstream republican candidate for small government? Reagan is the only one in my lifetime and even that is questionable. Both parties have always been about using the power of government for their own purposes. This is why the federal government never gets smaller. It's unfortunate because both parties are heavy handed in their pursuit of power. It's unavoidable because people always want action even to the determent of reason. This is not republican or democrat - this is human nature.