Separation of Church and State
Above all else, the separation of religion from the state must be maintained. If spiritual influences are allowed to overwhelmingly influence temporal politics, we risk a return to the violent and backwards past where theocracy trumps democracy. In this country, we have a blend of cultures and religions. While there is a clear majority who practice one particular religion, even that majority differs wildly in the interpretation of its religion. There cannot be any legislation seen to promote a particular sect’s ideology without trampling on that of another sect. Therefore, any legislation that is motivated by the ideals or morality of a particular religion must be quashed.

Marriage
Marriage is religious institution, and in keeping with the above separation, the government should have no hand in it. However, the government should be able to regulate civil unions, that are at their core, partnerships between two consenting adults.
The government should have no say as to which two consenting adults should be joined in a civil union. If a religious organization has qualms or rules as to who it will consider married, then it is by all means entitled to make that descison. The state, however, should make no distinctions. For it to do so would be to foster discrimination, prejudice, and a religious bias.
(Polygamy, in and of itself, is not a societal ill, but it presents such a logistical issue as to not be feasible without extensive legislation, and therefore, should be avoided.)

Welfare
Our state is governed by a government "by the people, for the people". Therefore, the state has an obligation to give aid to those who are unable to provide for themselves. However, this aid should not be simply handed out with no return expected.
Welfare recipients of working age and capability should be expected to do so in return for continued support. The state should also provide education and advancement programs with the interest of producing a productive tax-paying citizen in order to recoup the costs of support. Those who do not wish to become productive citizens should therefore not be entitled to such benefits.
Those who are too young, too old, or too disabled to work should be given ample care to live, without exception.
The state should also guarantee a minimum living wage that would put a single full-time employee above the poverty line.

Healthcare
As all working citizens are required to pay taxes to support the state, the state should reciprocate by offering low-cost, quality healthcare to all citizens. This healthcare should include preventive medicine in an effort to increase quality of life, and reduce expenses for high-cost procedures that could have been prevented with ample care.
It is the duty of the citizen to be productive for the enrichment of themselves, and by extension, the state. It is the duty of the state to ensure that the citizen has every opportunity to remain productive.
Incorporated in this healthcare package should be a minimum vacation and sick leave guarantee of no less than two weeks vacation and 5 sick days per year.

Education
In accordance with allowing citizens to reach a higher potential, and therefore be more productive tax-paying citizens, the state should provide a minimum standard for high-school graduation that is based less on performance and more on actual learning. Cultural factors must be considered, especially for Natives Americans and Spanish speakers who may not have learned English as their first tongue. English fluency should be mandatory, but not at the expense of native languages, or arts and humanities.
Additionally, the burden of higher education costs must also rest partially with the state. As our society moves away from manufacturing, it is incumbent upon the state to ensure that all citizens are afforded every opportunity to become productive in the new economic model.

Feel free to agree, disagree, and/or call me names.