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  • First Principles

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

    A Tea Party Foreign Policy?

    The Tea Party has had an extraordinary effect on American domestic policy. They have raised interest in policy debates, rallied public opinion, and given it a voice on various spending and constitutional issues. On foreign policy, though, the Tea Party has been largely silent. But with the United States currently … More

    Rep. Paul Ryan: America Exceptional at Home and Abroad

    Paul Ryan (R-WI), the champion of necessary but unpopular fiscal reform, spoke this month about America’s exceptional political ideas and how they should be reflected in our foreign policy. In so doing he rejected isolationism and reinforced the Founders’ commitment to making America an indispensable nation for the cause of … More

    Today in History: The Call For Independence

    On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee, a delegate from Virginia, stood in front of the Second Continental Congress and committed treason by proposing a resolution to declare that “these United States are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance … More

    Memorial Day’s True Meaning: Q&A with Dr. Matthew Spalding

    What does Memorial Day really mean? In a special Memorial Day podcast, The Heritage Foundation’s vice president of American Studies, Dr. Matthew Spalding, discusses the historical roots of this day. And below, we share with you a Q&A with Dr. Spalding in which he discusses that history, how Memorial Day … More

    PODCAST: The History of Memorial Day

    Today we celebrate Memorial Day, and in a special Heritage in Focus podcast, The Heritage Foundation’s vice president of American Studies, Matt Spalding, fills us in on the history and importance of this day. “If you want to get a sense of what Memorial Day is, the great poet is … More

    The Summer That Gave Us the Constitution

    On this day in 1787, the Second Constitutional Convention embarked on a four month-long process that resulted in the masterful document responsible for shaping our country. Though battered and bruised today, the Constitution of the United States remains the framework for our nation’s government.  On May 25, 1787, however, the … More

    Is Plain Language the New Newspeak?

    “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” It may be a bit dramatic to quote the opening of George Orwell’s classic 1984, but there is something quite Orwellian about the effects of H.R.946 – a piece of legislation that passed last year without … More

    All They Are Saying Is: Give Peace a Chance

    When Miss Congeniality admitted that she really did want world peace, little did she know that the government would have an answer. A recently introduced bill would establish a Department of Peace to “reduce and prevent violence in the United States and internationally through peacebuilding and effective nonviolent conflict resolution.” … More

    The Founders on Intervention: American Military Action Abroad (1783-1860)

    Those who advocate strict non-interventionism usually intend it to mean that America should remain militarily uninvolved abroad except when there is a clear and imminent threat to U.S. territory. But this isolationist doctrine of non-interventionism is not in keeping with the founding principles of America’s early foreign policy. The Founding … More

    In the Service of Liberty: Understanding American Military Actions Abroad (1783-1860)

    There is quite a lot of debate over America’s proper role in the world at the moment. Some believe that America should return to an earlier, simpler, and more isolationist foreign policy. Perhaps this frame of mind makes it easier to advocate for significant cuts to military spending. To advance … More