> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://handbook.ucrp.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Guiding Principles

> The platform, bylaws, and founding documents that define what UCRP stands for.

The platform is a link between the party and the voters who trust it with their representation. All Republican candidates and elected officials are expected to endorse these principles and be held accountable to them — not as a litmus test of perfection, but as a shared benchmark that guides decisions and enables accountability.

As a delegate, your job is to vet candidates against the platform — not toward or away from candidates based on personality, association, or political reputation. Some planks are aspirational by design: the platform sets a direction and a standard, and it takes honest, ongoing dialogue between delegates and elected officials to close the gap between principle and policy. That dialogue is the caucus-convention system working as intended.

<Frame caption="Expanded detail in the 2026 proposed platform empowers delegates to vet candidates and bills against today's political landscape.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/ucrp/iDqf1aBpSHFy7j8A/images/support-local-govt-2026.PNG?fit=max&auto=format&n=iDqf1aBpSHFy7j8A&q=85&s=79701c43acb493196ea9a7b4ecf7410e" alt="Platform comparison showing current and proposed 2026 planks side by side" style={{width: '100%', borderRadius: '6px'}} width="2320" height="842" data-path="images/support-local-govt-2026.PNG" />
</Frame>

<div style={{display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'center', marginTop: '1rem', marginBottom: '2rem'}}>
  <a href="/platform/platform-comparison" style={{display: 'inline-block', background: '#a01722', color: '#fff', fontWeight: '700', fontSize: '0.95rem', letterSpacing: '0.04em', padding: '0.6rem 1.6rem', borderRadius: '6px', textDecoration: 'none'}}>View the 2011 vs. 2026 Platform Comparison →</a>
</div>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Candidate Vetting Questions" icon="clipboard-question" href="/vet-candidates/questions" color="#a01722">
    38 questions organized by platform plank — use these to evaluate candidate alignment before offering your support at convention.
  </Card>

  <Card title="2026 Legislative Session Platform Alignment Report" icon="file-chart-column" color="#64748b">
    *COMING SOON* — An analysis of how 2026 Utah General Legislative Session bills aligned with the UCRP platform. Not yet available.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Current UCRP Platform" icon="scroll" href="https://ucrp.org/party-platform/" color="#a01722">
    The full text of the current Utah County Republican Party platform, adopted April 2011 and amended as of April 2025.
  </Card>

  <Card title="UCRP Constitution & Bylaws" icon="landmark" href="https://ucrp.org/governing-docs/" color="#a01722">
    The governing documents of the Utah County Republican Party, including rules for membership, conventions, and party structure.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Utah State Constitution" icon="building-columns" href="https://le.utah.gov/xcode/constitution.html" color="#a01722">
    The full text of the Utah State Constitution, maintained by the Utah State Legislature.
  </Card>

  <Card title="U.S. Constitution" icon="flag" href="https://www.senate.gov/civics/resources/pdf/US_Constitution-Senate_Publication_103-21.pdf" color="#a01722">
    The Constitution of the United States — Senate Publication 103-21.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Declaration of Independence" icon="feather" href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO00/20220929/115171/HHRG-117-GO00-20220929-SD010.pdf" color="#a01722">
    The Declaration of Independence — the founding document establishing the principles upon which the nation and its government were built.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>