• The Heritage Network
    • Resize:
    • A
    • A
    • A
  • Donate
  • First Principles

    The future of liberty depends on reclaiming America’s first principles.

    18th Century Advice: Thomas Jefferson on Education Reform

    The original “Man of the People,” Thomas Jefferson, was born on April 13 in 1743. Jefferson is best known for drafting the Declaration of Independence, but he also wrote prolifically and prophetically on education. “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects … More

    The Diversity of the Founding

    In the latest paper in the Makers of American Political Thought series, Colleen Sheehan looks at the long career of James Madison. In it, we see that “diversity” was a key component of the American Founding. Of course, Madisonian diversity had nothing to do with tallying up racial, ethnic, or … More

    Margaret Thatcher Made Great Leaps, Avoided Compromise

    The life of the late Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, offers many interesting and instructive examples of statesmanship. Not only for what the Iron Lady did, but what she did not do—her ability to resist the prevailing winds of peer pressure and public opinion in favor … More

    Larry Arnn: Reclaim First Principles

    Americans must choose whether they will continue to allow government to erode liberty, or reclaim the first principles that have made America great. Heritage’s longtime president, Ed Feulner, who retired this week, succeeded in leaving the nation a legacy of arming citizens to defend those principles. Now, Americans must renew … More

    What the Left Misunderstands about Poverty and Dependency

    Jim DeMint kicked off his first day as President of the Heritage Foundation with a letter celebrating the American spirit and lamenting the damage done to our national character by the Left’s limitless welfare state: “Liberal policies have destroyed families and communities and created dependence on government. Putting our society back … More

    Income Inequality and Life Expectancy

    Recently The Washington Post published an article claiming that the “widening gap in life expectancy” among America’s seniors “reflects perhaps the starkest outcome of our nation’s growing income inequality.” Income inequality has become an absolute evil that can be blamed for anything terrible in this world. From slowing down the … More

    Disability: Enmeshed in the Safety Net

    The finest trick of the devil, Baudelaire once wrote, is to persuade you that he does not exist. Modern liberalism, being far less devilish, has pulled a lesser, but still effective, trick: It has convinced Americans that conservatives don’t care. In fact, the left has made “caring” its exclusive prerogative … More

    Unsweetening Cronyism

    The law of supply and demand cannot be revoked. But it is being amended slightly, and we’re all paying the price. In this case, for sugar. Last year produced a bumper crop of sugar beets, which are refined (as their name would suggest) into sugar. Meanwhile, Americans have been using … More

    Making Death Cost Less

    Some people bury themselves in their work. At Saint Joseph Abbey in southern Louisiana, burying is the work. Monks at Saint Joseph make inexpensive caskets—and would like to sell their handiwork to people who don’t want to throw money away on an item that’s just going to end up six … More

    Obamacare: State Legislatures Speak Out

    A third birthday is often a cause for celebration. But that’s certainly not the case for Obamacare, which was signed into law on March 23 three years ago. The law has never enjoyed majority support and is likely to become even more unpopular as insurance premiums soar starting next year. … More