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I can agree with most of what you state regarding Republican beliefs. However, the exception is the legislation of morality. It is no more up to the government to decide what is and is not moral for the citizenship, than it is up to the liberals to decide who is more deserving of another's income.
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I guess I agree with that. I retract my use of the word "morality." Rather, progressive Republicans, those who believe in the utilization of big government (witness Welfare reform and administrative reform in Wisconsin, Colorado, and Maine) to enforce good behavior. I am one of those conservatives. I don't believe in the free-for-all liberal spending of the 1960's and 1970's, but I strongly believe in a balanced budget and a progressive tax structure which I think is necessary for sound public policy. I also believe in public policy that, on balance, pays more attention to practical outcomes, not ideology. I also believe in government intervention in the private sector. Health insurance is out of control, as are auto emissions and efficiency regulations, as is our energy policy; these areas, to name a few, are areas where I would not solely trust the private sector to do what's good for the general public. I have no particular opinions on big government though. I think that while our administrative state is large and costly, it ensures that maximum stability and it ensures that government can accomplish as little as possible. I think when all is summed up, I'm a conservative, but not a Republican.