We view state government as the instrument through which the people of Minnesota come together to accomplish what cannot be achieved by the private market or citizens alone and to balance the diverse needs of our state. We expect our state government to:

• Provide or finance effective services for the public
• Influence private behavior to protect us and our state’s natural resources from harm
• Ensure a free flow of information to help us understand choices and make decisions wisely
• Invest in our people and public infrastructures
• Raise revenue fairly and spend it wisely
• Be honest, accountable and responsive to people and respectful of our rights.

Government acts as a catalyst for creating the future we envision for our state. If you're interested in this subject, take a look at Minnesota Milestones, an initiative of the Minnesota Planning Department. Now discontinued, it began in 1991 in the belief that a shared vision, clear goals and measurement of results would lead to a better future for Minnesota. The report used 70 progress indicators to determine whether the state was achieving 19 publicly determined goals.