Unemployment is up, inflation has risen, housing prices have stalled, and bankruptcies are at a record high. The price of oil is through the roof, we are on dangerous territory with Iran, and the great communist nation on the other side of the world is on our heels. Meanwhile, the President of the United States still doesn’t understand why Americans will not simply pull themselves out of their funk. Welcome to the year 1980. The resemblance between 1980 and 2012 doesn’t stop at economic conditions and foreign troubles. The year …
Hispanics are rapidly becoming one of the most influential groups in American politics. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, they make up 16.3 percent of the total population and have become increasingly active in elections. Although Hispanics have tended to vote Democratic, their strong commitment to traditional values, families, and religion and their remarkable self-reliance makes them a powerful swing vote in any election. Heritage Libertad, our Spanish-language division, recently published a Spanish version of Matthew Spalding’s essay on American exceptionalism, thereby making America’s founding principles more accessible to Hispanics …
Steve Jobs, who died yesterday at the too-young age of 56, was a living refutation of all that liberals constantly tell us about our country — that we’re falling behind others and live now in a “post-American world,” as one of Barack Obama’s favorite books puts it in its title. As anyone who’s ever handled an Apple product or had his life improved by the technological innovations our system has produced in just a decade (that means all of us) will tell you, Jobs and innovators like him epitomize that …
In case you missed it, make sure you listen to last week’s Heritage Libertad Radio Show. Listen in Spanish or English. The Spanish show kicks off with a discussion of new government data regarding the Hispanic community. That’s followed up with a segment on immigration. The show closes with member questions: What is American exceptionalism? How is the president paying for his newly proposed jobs plan? The English show kicks off with a segment with Congressman Farenthold (R – TX) on oil and gas exploration and the EPA. From there …
Every summer, thousands of high school and college students flock to Washington, D.C., to learn about our government and meet senior government officials. These invaluable internships give tomorrow’s leaders an up-close-and-personal experience they could never get from mere classroom work. As a former senior official, I often participate in debates and panel discussions convened for the benefit of these interns. Last week, I found myself on stage in a debate entitled: “After Bin Laden: What Next for the Fight against Terror?” After the opening remarks, students asked questions about issues …
According to a recent global survey, opinion of the United States continues to be generally favorable in most regions of the world, but it appears that America may be on its way to lose its status as the dominant global superpower. The American image now faces several new and worrisome challenges: doubts about its superpower status, a decline in favorability among some of the closest allies, and giving more and more consideration to the People’s Republic of China as superpower.
In the wake of last week’s Independence Day celebrations, millions of young Americans are embracing their freedom. While Generation Yers may have the stereotype of being self-centered, many of them not only view themselves as exceptional — they hold the same view of America as well. A recent poll commissioned by Generation Opportunity reveals that the majority of Millennials embrace American exceptionalism. The survey, conducted by the polling company/WomanTrend, found 56 percent of Millennials embrace the notion that is America is qualitatively different than other nations. While some may want …
The idea of “American exceptionalism” has become a litmus test for patriotism in the last year or so. Politicians from both parties have realized that it resonates with American citizens and have hastened to add it to their list of buzz words. However, it is used often without explanation, which allows people to share it while intending vastly different meanings. Begrudgingly, liberals will admit that America is “exceptional”—but only in the way that every country is special. In his maiden speech on the Senate floor yesterday, Senator Marco Rubio (R–FL) …
This Sunday marks the 100th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan’s birth. A man of many talents and accomplishments, his sense of humor and contagious optimism are perhaps most missed today as our nation faces a host of difficult challenges. As we recall in our new video celebrating his birthday, when Reagan took office our nation was in a similarly precarious situation. With high unemployment and inflation at home and the looming threat of communism abroad, America was at a crossroads. But in the face of all these obstacles, President Reagan …
Last night, in his State of the Union, President Barack Obama claimed, “We have to make America the best place on Earth to do business. … That’s how our people will prosper. That’s how we’ll win the future.” This is true. But then he went on to say: “We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time.” No. No, he doesn’t. The rest of the President’s speech made it very clear that he has no idea what makes America the best place on earth …
