THERE HAS BEEN a great deal written about the state of disarray that characterizes the Republican Party in Rhode Island. Much of the criticism is deserved and on the mark. Personally, I don’t blame the party structure, or the leadership of the RIGOP as much as I blame those elected officials, like myself, who have failed to articulate what it means to be a Republican in 21st Century Rhode Island.

The papers and pundits have proffered a wide variety of solutions and multi-point plans and schemes to create a viable two-party system in our state. We have seen everything from a five-point plan proffered by Jeff Deckman (“Build coalitions with reformers,” Commentary, Dec. 19) to the outright disbanding and legal removal of the Rhode Island Republican Party put forth by WPRO’s Dan Yorke.

Between the two extremes are plans and programs to rejuvenate a “moribund” (Arlene Violet’s term) Rhode Island GOP that has become so dysfunctional and distasteful that one of my colleagues, state Rep. Joseph Scott, felt compelled to renounce more than 30 years of GOP membership to cast his lot with the Democrats.

While many of these proposals have merit, I think that they focus entirely on tactics while ignoring the fundamental question: What does it mean to be a Republican in Rhode Island?

I believe that, simply put, Rhode Island Republicans share a set of core principles that deserve to be articulated in public discourse. While there are many differences on the specifics of policy, Republicanism, I believe, shares the following things, among others, that differentiate us from our Democratic colleagues.

Rhode Island Republicans believe in a limited government grounded in constitutional principles. We believe in the free-enterprise system and the encouragement of individual initiative. We hold dear the principles embodied in the U.S. Constitution, that the powers of government are derived from the consent of the governed, and the rule of law.

In Rhode Island, this means we stand in opposition to the expansion of government, and more importantly, in opposition to the growing burdens on individual prosperity cause by excessive taxation. That would put us squarely in opposition to the expansion of public-sector unions, and the creation of ever more publicly-funded “programs.” We believe that it is only through the expansion of economic opportunity in Rhode Island that all of us will enjoy greater prosperity.

Perhaps the biggest threat to our prosperity today is the ever-escalating tax burden and its ringleader, the real-estate property tax. While we applaud efforts by the Democrats to put in place property-tax caps, we believe that it is the fundamental financial structural driver escalating costs that has yet to be seriously and effectively addressed.

Next, Republicans support the protection of individual liberty. In Abraham Lincoln’s day, that meant opposition to slavery. Rhode Island Republicans to this day continue to work for the equality, opportunity and rights of all citizens. This manifests itself in our opposition to special insider deals designed to enrich special interests.

Lastly, Rhode Island Republicans believe in protecting our environment. In the Ocean State that means an unbending commitment to preserving our surroundings. We know that a healthy environment and a sound economy are both essential to our state’s prosperity. We believe that by working together, we can preserve both our environment and our economy for current and future generations of Rhode Islanders. In Rhode Island we enjoy a very special and fragile beauty in our environment. We support the various land trusts and private-public partnerships whose mission is to encourage the protection and preservation of open space.

In Rhode Island we as Republicans need to remember that we are descendants of the party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. We need to celebrate and live the core principles of the GOP and only then concern ourselves with the tactics necessary to build a party. Because, if we are true to our core principles and articulate them loudly, clearly and often, the nuts-and-bolts of party building will follow on their own.

It’s easy to blame others for the lack of performance of the GOP in our state. Heaven knows there is plenty of blame to go around. But before we set about accusing others, we should remember another quote by Teddy Roosevelt, “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.”

State Rep. John J. Loughlin II represents District 71, which includes Little Compton, Portsmouth, and Tiverton.