Heritage Foundation
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| Heritage Foundation | |
|---|---|
| |
| Website | http://www.heritage.org |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | Washington D.C. , United States |
| Industry | Political Interest Group |
The Heritage Foundation is a Washington DC based conservative political think tank. The foundation was founded by two congressional aides Edwin Feulner and Paul Weyrich in 1973. One of its primary purposes is public policy research, it provides information and lobbies to Congress, policymakers, the media, and those within the academic community. It is the defined mission of the Heritage Foundation "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." [1]
Contents |
History
Founded February 13, 1973
1977 Ed Feulner becomes president and overhauls the organizational structure of the foundation, creating a new senior management staff
1980 Published "Mandate for Leadership"
In 1981 the foundation lobbied the Regan administration for tax cuts across the board, Heritages Norman True, the author of "Mandate for Leadership" was selected as treasury secertary and according to Heritage's website "wiped out America's economic "malaise," producing the biggest economic boom in U.S. history" [2]
1987: Rolled out a policy plan known as "Out of the Poverty Trap" This policy was the source for entitlement reform in the late 1990's
1992 Proposed a free markert alternitive to President Clinton's governement proposal
1995 Heritage goes online, and begins to have a prescance in the online community
1996 Welfare reform is passed, based on a plan devised by Heritage experts, and poverty falls for the first time in 25 years, plunging to historic lows.
1997 Heritage establishes the Center for Data Analysis to give congressional conservatives better analysis on tax and spending
2000 Esatblished the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies
2002 Creates a Homeland Security Task Force, 2/3 of its recomendations are eventually implemented
2007 Heritage takes the lead stressing the importance of enforcing the rule of law and improving border security by thwarting attempts to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants.
Founding
The day that the Heritage Foundation was founded Feburay 13, 1973 is considered a landmark in the history of modern day conservatism. Edwin Feulner President of Heritage compares this day to other monumental achievements in conservatist history, including President Ronald Regan's inauguration and the fall of the Soviet Union. When Heritage opened its doors in 1973 it faced a plethora of initial challenges, including financing, but more importantly "Conservative leaders and conservative ideas were out of public favor."[3] Both were problems that the foundation would soon overcome.
Current objectives and activities
Health care
An extremely hot button issue for the Heritage Foundation right now, is the debate on health care. The center for Health Policy Studies has been busy turning out numerous policy papers for legislative review. Heritage in these policy papers has continually and strongly denounced any plan that contains a public option; terming many proposals as Obamacare. [4]
Nuclear Crisis in Iran
The Heritage Foundation is pushing for more funding to protect our soliders and our European allies. It is stated that currently Iran only has access to medium range missles, and the current administration is only concernd is with protection from those devices. Heritage hopes to see steps taken to insure protection from long range missles as well, which was the policy of the Bush administration. Heritage has gone on record as saying "All the Obama administration did is cut our missile defenses in half. We are in a desperate race to beat the clock on Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Why on earth are we stopping now to let the Iranians catch up?"[5]
Education Reform
In an age that values education has a top priority the Heritage Foundation has made a push for school vouchers. It is their opinion that parents should have the option to send their children to the very best school possible, and that in some areas of the country public schools are low-performing and tragically, often dangerous schools. Wahington D.C. has in the past had a scholarship program that allowed 216 Washington D.C. Public School students to attend a private school of their choice, and were provided voucher assistance. This program was discontinued by the Obama administration and education secertary Arnie Duncan. Heritage through research, policy papers, and communication with legislators is attempting to get this program reinstated [6]
Organizational structure
The Heritage Foundation's structure at its basic level is broken into 5 different sections. At the top of its organizational structure is the executive section, this level is made up of the President and executive Vice President. The current President is Dr. Edwin J. Feulner. The current executive VP is Phillip N. Truluck. Beneath the executive section is the Senior Management level. This division primarily encompasses 8 vice presidents, each responsible for a different set of issues or functions some of which are listed below.
Information Technology
Strategic Initiatives
| Domestic and Economic Policy Studies | External Relations|
Government Relations|- Communications| Foreign and Defense Policy Studies| Finance and Operations |
Domestic and Economic Policy Studies Foreign and Defense Policy Studies External Relations Finance and Operations Government Relations Information Technology Communications Strategic Initiatives
Immediately below senior management is the management division, this division encompasses approximately thirty directors, whom are each responsible for a different policy area or administrative function, some examples include:
Director, Strategic Operations
Director, Government Relations
Director, U.S. House Relations, Government Relations
Director, Asian Studies Center
Director, Center for Health Policy Studies
[7]
Achievements
Since 1980 "Heritage has played a central role in setting not only the broad conservative agenda but also the details of legislation"[8]
During that year (1980) the foundation rolled out its famous 20 volume set of policy recommendations called "Mandate for Leadership". These recommendations served as the foundation for the so-called Reagan Revolution that would lead to the demise of communisim.
The Heritage Foundation played a huge role in designing and supporting President Regan's Contra wars in Latin America and Africa.
The foundation worked closely with leading anti-communist movements, including the Nicaraguan contras and Jonas Savimbis Unita movement in Angola to bring military, economic, and political pressure on Soviet-aligned regimes
More recently Heritage takes broad credit for much of President Bush's policy both abroad, and hear at home.
Public perception and controversies
In developing this final section, be especially careful about maintaining a neutral stance and tone. Your aim should be to document the public's perception of your group and/or any controversies in which it is or has been embroiled without weighing in with your own opinion about them.
References
- ↑ Heritage Foundation (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved September13, 2009 from The Heritage Foundation, Web site: http://www.heritage.org/about/
- ↑ Heritage Foundation (n.d.). The Heritage Foundation’s 35th Anniversary: A History of Achievements. Retrieved September 21, 2009 from , Web site: http://www.heritage.org/About/35thAnniversary.cfm
- ↑ Berkowitz, B (2008, July). The Heritage Foundation's 35 years. Z Magazine, , 4. Retrieved from http://www.zmag.org/zmag/viewArti cle/18079
- ↑ Heritage Foundation (2009, September 17). Fix Health Care Policy. Retrieved September 28, 2009 from The Heritage Foundation, Web site: http://fixhealthcarepolicy.com/
- ↑ Heritage Foundation (2009, September 28). Why are we Letting Iran Catch Up?. Retrieved September 28, 2009 from The Heritage Foundation, The Foundry Web site: http://blog.heritage.org/2009/09/28/why-are-we-letting-iran-catch-up/
- ↑ The Heritage Foundation (2009, August 24). D.C. School Choice Supporters Protest Education Sec. Duncan. Retrieved September 28, 2009 from The Heritage Foundation, The Foundry Web site: http://blog.heritage.org/2009/08/24/dc-school-choice-supporters-protest-education-secretary-duncan/
- ↑ Heritage Foundation (n.d.). Staff. Retrieved September 16, 2009 from The Heritage Foundation, Web site: http://www.heritage.org/About/Staff/
- ↑ Weisberg, J. (1998, January 9). Happy Birthday, Heritage Foundation. Slate, , .
