I have lost faith that the GOP is for smaller government. I can't remember any GOP president, in my lifetime, that moved for smaller government. All the Republicans and Democrats want to do is make specific parts of the government smaller (cut funding) while increasing other parts (increase funding).
It would not be all that bad if it was a zero gain, but both parties want to expand "their" favourite parts of the government more than cutting the parts they don't like.
End result from both parties -- increased size and cost of government.
The political spectrum in the US is not accurately depicted as a straight line (left, center, right) but more a mobius strip.