Newt Gingrich's rise in Republican presidential polls has come as he positioned himself as the true conservative who could capture the small-government fervor of primary voters. But his long history of policy pronouncements suggests the former House Speaker also believes in the power of government to do big things. At various times in his career, Mr. Gingrich has come out in favor of requiring that individuals carry health insurance and increasing federal spending for scientific research. He has backed programs run by the Education Department, which many of his peers would like to abolish, as well as national curriculum standards...