From the beginning of my time in public life, I've consistently tried to advance ideas within the framework of several fundamental beliefs.

Specifically, I've always believed less government means more personal freedom, lower taxes means a better economy and expanded choices for parents means a better, more effective system of education.

Along with those beliefs is the notion that a more open system of government leads to more accountable and often more taxpayer-friendly government.

Simply put, sunlight is the ultimate disinfectant in the political process - and the more folks can see and engage in that process, the better off we'll all be.

Since becoming governor, creating a more open and accessible government here in South Carolina has been one of my biggest priorities. Quickly, I'd point to three wins on that front:

Campaign Finance Reform - After [the issue] languished for several years, we signed into law sweeping campaign finance reforms designed to open up South Carolina's electoral process and "let the sunlight in" on contributions made to political parties, committees and legislative caucuses.

Department of Commerce Reform - Long one of our state's most secretive and scandal-ridden agencies, Secretary Bob Faith and his team had already started changing the culture at Commerce by the time we signed legislation making new disclosure requirements there a part of permanent state law.

Open Door After 4 - I said during my first State of the State address that, every month, I was going to hold open office hours with individual South Carolinians to discuss whatever issues were on their minds. Since then, we've held more than 20 open door sessions during which literally hundreds of South Carolinians have met with me privately in my office. We've also taken the show on the road so to speak, holding several neighborhood office hours in different parts of the state.

Clearly there are other wins, like our first-ever series of public agency budget hearings that resulted in direct savings to the taxpayer in our first executive budget, but as the poet Robert Frost once wrote, we've still got "miles to go before we sleep" in our efforts to create a truly open and accountable government here in South Carolina.