Why do some conservatives say they want a small government?

Some actually might. Most of them just use it as a platform while taking our taxes, blowing them on excessive defense budgets, creating endless bureaucracies supposedly supporting their defense budget and small government, forcing their right-wing agenda down our throats via legislation, and forgetting anything and everything else that matters to America. Like, say, privacy. The GOP calls itself conservative, but it hasn't been small government in decades.