1. Size of government - I would significantly reduce the size of the federal government both in terms of people and share of tax receipts and attempt to push money and people down to states and local governments, where I believe solutions can be better created given diverse cultural-economic-geographic, etc. distinctions.
2. Balance the budget - I would require a balanced budget in absence of extraordinary circumstances. Pass a bond election if you want to go to war to give people a say (for example).
3. Efficiency - would require something like 90% of tax dollars to directly benefit citizens vs. funding the government. To point #1 and 2, I think we spend too much / dollar on self-sustaining government versus benefitting citizens.
IMHO, if those three could be accomplished, it would exponentially improve all other issues. And FWIW, I agree on the corruption point; however, not sure how that could be legislated more than it is. I am naïve I realize, but if only intelligent, principled, non-corruptible people entered politics, we would be in good shape. To date, I think I might could only put Joe Liebermann in that bucket ... maybe.
Also, I think we get way too distracted by Culture War and other issues driven by narrow special interest groups vs. those that really sustain and grow the long-term health of the nation and country.