The Foundry

A round-up of Op-Eds from the Heritage Foundation

India: A Land on the March – Ed Feulner
As The Heritage Foundation’s “Index of Economic Freedom” shows each year, more economic freedom (an open economy operating under the rule of law) generates more economic growth. That, in turn, means a higher income for the average person. This is exactly what’s happening in India[...]

Another Reason to Drill – Ben Lieberman
The restrictions on offshore energy are based on outdated environmental fears – advances in technology have dramatically reduced the risk of oil spills, and any new domestic drilling would be subject to the strictest standards in the world. Yet Congress has renewed the restrictions annually since 1982.[...]

A to-do List: Be Proactive, Build International Institutions that Work – James Carafano
Membership should be limited to nations that share a commitment to freedom and have the capacity to act in the interest of itself and its fellow members. We also need to protect against “mission creep.” These institutions should strengthen voluntary bilateral cooperation between nations, not supplant the governance of state. The next president should seek to develop three such institutions – one focused on security, one on economic freedoms, and another on individual freedoms and human rights.[...]

Gaining Health Care Coverage Without Losing Freedom – Israel Ortega
The major downsides to government-run health care are the absence of patient choice and private competition. With the government calling the shots, patients have virtually no say in their personal health care decisions. And with a government monopoly in control, there’s little incentive to provide value. The only way for the government to control costs is to ration care, so you end up with long waiting lists for almost every procedure[...]

Don’t Provide Medicaid Relief Without Demanding Reform – Dennis Smith
If Congress is determined to increase funding across the board, then it should also re-examine the special considerations given to individual states over the years. Federal law provides unique financing arrangements, including special direct payments for certain states. Collectively, these special arrangements and disputes are worth billions of dollars — funds that could be used to pay for the cost of the temporary payment[...]