Think-tank education

The Heritage Foundation

Leadership for America

Type

Think Tank - Research and Educational Institution

Overview

"Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institution—a think tank—whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense."

Worldview

Conservative

Organization Review

The foundation seeks to preserve and renew the principles and ideas of the American Founders, believing that the most effective solutions to national problems can be found in those ideals.

It pursues its mission by performing timely, accurate research on key policy issues. Its primary audiences are: "members of Congress, key congressional staff members, policymakers in the executive branch, the nation’s news media, and the academic and policy communities."

Finances

Tax Status: Non-Profit 501c organization

Funding: It relies on private donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations and accepts no government funds and performs no contract work. The Foundation had an operating budget of $75 million in 2007 with 710,000 contributors. It is a part of the Koch Foundation Associate Program. (Wikipedia: The Heritage Foundation)

Key Ideas:

Mandate for Leadership

According to Wikipedia, the foundation's Mandate for Leadership provided a significant to Ronald Reagan's policies.

The Mandate is a series of 8 books published by the Foundation as guidelines for reducing the size and scope of the federal government through specific policy recommendations. The last edition was published in 2005.

Senator Jim DeMint taking the Helm

In December 2012 Senator Jim DeMint resigned the US Senate to lead the Heritage Foundation. He is a strong supporter of individual liberty, free markets, and rule of law as well as a proponent of smaller government.

Index of Economic Freedom

Since 1995 the Foundation, in partnership with the Wall Street Journal, has tracked the ebb and flow of economic freedom throughout the world. Each year it publishes the Index of Economic Freedom, ranking the countries of the world based on eight different economic criteria. The index is not a measure of political freedom except to the extent that economic freedom is a prerequisite to individual liberty. In 2013 the top country is Hong Kong, while the United States is number ten, below Chile which is number seven.