First Principles Policy Studies and Research | Leadership for America

First Principles

The future of liberty depends on reclaiming America’s first principles. Learn More... Statement of Purpose “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization,” as Thomas Jefferson warned, “it expects what never was and never will be.” Widespread ignorance of American history is but the most recognized symptom of the troubling decline in popular knowledge of fundamental principles. We face an education system that upholds mediocrity in the name of relativism; an ever-expanding and centralized government, unmoored from constitutional limits; judges openly making laws and shaping society based on pop-philosophy rather than serious jurisprudence; and growing confusion over America’s legitimate role in the world, made all the more apparent by the fundamental threat posed by radical Islamists. At the root of all these problems is a pervasive doubt about the core principles that define America and ought to inform our politics and policy.

As the leading public policy institution focused on American liberty, The Heritage Foundation must lead the call to awaken our country and get it back on course. We must recall the nation to its first principles, reinvigorate American constitutionalism, and revive the sturdy virtues required for self-government. We must restore the principles of America’s Founders to their proper role in the public and political discourse, influencing public policy and reforming government to reflect constitutional limits. We must rebuild and unify a robust conservatism around, and in defense of, these core principles, and identify and develop current and future policymakers, opinionmakers, and leaders who understand, articulate, and will promote these principles. In short, our vision, building on the great successes of the modern conservative movement, must now be to save America by reclaiming its truths and its promises and conserving its liberating principles for ourselves and our posterity.

Latest Research

The latest research on America' s First Principles from Heritage Foundation experts:

The Perils of Judicial Policymaking: The Practical Case for Separation of Powers

September 23, 2008

Critics of the judiciary’s ever-growing role in American politics usually focus on how it erodes self-government or, most severely, leads to judicial tyranny. If, as James Madison argued, the accumulation of legislative, executive, and judicial powers in the same hands “is the very definition of tyranny,” these concerns are well-founded, with the courts today determining public policy on everything from abortion to obscenity to public displays of the Ten Commandments.

By Joshua Dunn, Ph.D.

Constitutional Discourse and American Government

August 22, 2008

Constitutional rhetoric in the process of governing educates America's citizens and serves as a barometer of what is on the national mind. Most important, constitutional rhetoric in the White House and on the floor of Congress gives us an imperfect but useful indication of whether the nation's leaders are actually taking into consideration the nation's highest law.

By Andrew E. Busch, Ph.D.

The Roots of Modern Conservative Thought from Burke to Kirk

July 9, 2008

If we had to pick the thinkers more responsible than any other for planting the intellectual roots of modern conservative thought, I believe we would select Edmund Burke and Russell Kirk. They were separated by almost two hundred years but united in their adherence to the priceless principle of ordered liberty.

By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.

Featured Research

Powerful research from Heritage Foundation experts on America's First Principles:

How to Read the Constitution: Self-Government and the Jurisprudence of Originalism

The argument that original meaning should guide constitutional interpretation is nearly as old as the Constitution itself. Before there were strict constructionists, before there were judicial activists, there were originalists. In those early days, few seriously objected to the notion that the Constitution should be read in accord with its original meaning, though there were plenty of debates over how best to ascertain that original meaning and what exactly was required to be faithful to the Constitution of the founding.

By Keith Whittington

The Progressive Movement and the Transformation of American Politics

Progressivism was the reform movement that ran from the late 19th century through the first decades of the 20th century, during which leading intellectuals and social reformers in the United States sought to address the economic, political, and cultural questions that had arisen in the context of the rapid changes brought with the Industrial Revolution and the growth of modern capitalism in America. The Progressives believed that these changes marked the end of the old order and required the creation of a new order appropriate for the new industrial age.

By Thomas G. West and William Schambra

The Mythical "Wall of Separation": How a Misused Metaphor Changed Church–State Law, Policy, and Discourse

No metaphor in American letters has had a more profound influence on law and policy than Thomas Jefferson's "wall of separation between church and state." Today, this figure of speech is accepted by many Americans as a pithy description of the constitutionally prescribed church?state arrangement, and it has become the sacred icon of a strict separationist dogma that champions a secular polity in which religious influences are systematically and coercively stripped from public life.

By Daniel L. Dreisbach

Commentaries

Heritage Foundation experts constantly add their uniquely useful expertise on America's First Principle's. Look here to find the absolute latest in commentaries:

Ensuring That Only Citizens Vote

November 18, 2008

A report on FOX affiliate WFLD-TV in Chicago that aired just before the election showed how easy it is for non-citizens to register: They used a hidden camera in a DMV office to show a Chinese citizen illegally registering to vote as she obtained a driver’s license.

By Hans A. von Spakovsky

Will This Election Be Stolen?

November 5, 2008

In 1742, riots broke out in Philadelphia on Election Day over claims that German immigrants were being used to illegally increase vote totals. George Washington won a race for the Virginia House of Burgesses after buying gallons of liquor for voters; by contrast, James Madison refused to engage in this common practice and lost his election.

By Hans A. Von Spakovsky

The Real Meaning of the 4th of July

July 30, 2008

Earlier this month our nation celebrated the 4th of July -- Independence Day. For American families, it’s a tradition that involves food, friends and fireworks. Unfortunately, as with many holidays, it’s easy to lose sight of why we’re celebrating.

By Israel Ortega

The Foundry

The Foundry seeks to further those conservative principles and policies through daily commentary on current news and events, following in Heritage's long tradition of responding quickly to the public policy debates taking place in Washington. It is a product of Heritage's Center for Media & Public Policy. Nothing written on The Foundry is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before Congress. For more information or to contact the editors, send an e-mail to Robert Bluey or Conn Carroll.

Brevity is the Soul of?Clarity

11/19/2008

On this date (November 19) in 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave perhaps the greatest speech in American History, the Gettysburg Address. The text of the speech is short, less than 300 words, a fitting reminder to contemporary politicians that, sometimes, the most succinct speeches are the most meaningful. Perhaps the brevity of Lincoln’s remarks can be explained by the only inaccuracy Read More...

New Obama Style Suits AP

11/17/2008

Here’s one that’s a little hard even for media folks to figure. Out of the blue, the Associated Press quietly issued a new style rule that took effect at 3 a.m. Nov. 14. As a result of this 3 a.m. call, the AP will sound a more formal tone when referring to the president of Read More...

Will the Left Stop Complaining About the Electoral College?

11/12/2008

Over the coming months, we will witness one of the most remarkable aspects of American political life — the peaceful transfer of political authority from one administration to another. Because this is commonplace in America, we tend to overlook the novelty of this phenomenon. However, Americans from our founding generation understood the significance of this Read More...

The Founders and Redistribution of Wealth

10/29/2008

We’ve heard a lot lately about “redistribution of wealth.” What would the American Founders think? Property rights provide the foundation of prosperity. As Americans, we’re accustomed to a revolutionary guarantee that we may labor, earn wages and acquire property — and rest assured that what we earn and acquire will be secure. It’s a simple promise that Read More...

Straw Polls, Straw Men at Box Office

10/03/2008

Sarah Palin maybe forgot to mention this in the debate, but we’re sort of having a pop culture election a month before the presidential one. This weekend, movie lovers have one of those rare opportunities to tell Hollywood they want to see more films that honor America’s traditional values and founding principles — the stuff Governor Read More...

Congressional Fellows

The Heritage Congressional Fellowship is a training and educational program to instruct junior congressional staffers in the key ideas—from the principles of the American Founding to the fundamentals of economic freedom to the leading concepts of conservative thought—necessary for them to address current legislative issues and grapple with contemporary politics and policy.

Internships

The Heritage Foundation takes great interest in young conservative minds. Our highly competitive Internship Program is intended to introduce bright, innovative undergraduate and graduate students to the policymaking process and encourage them to become active and effective participants in public affairs. Working directly with our research analysts and policy-makers, or with professionals in one of our external departments, Heritage interns gain solid professional experience. In addition to their day-to-day assignments, interns attend weekly seminars designed to introduce them to conservative ideas, current policy debates, and have the opportunity to meet top Heritage Fellows and other outside scholars. We also arrange tours to places like the United States Capitol, the Library of Congress, Mount Vernon, and the Pentagon.

Guest Scholars

The B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies invites scholars to write essays (approx. 7,000 words) on a “First Principle” that they are particularly familiar with or interested in making available to the Center’s audiences. Scholars typically give a public lecture based on their paper and then lead a private discussion with one of our target audiences. While in town, scholars might work privately with Heritage experts, create a Heritage YouTube video, or teach Heritage interns. The Center offers a generous honorarium for the published essay and lecture and reimburses travel expenses.

To Apply:
Mail or e-mail the following materials to the Center:

Curriculum Vita
Letter explaining field of interest, qualifications to speak and write on topic, and relevance to the work of the Center.
Copies of relevant academic work

Applications are received and considered on an ongoing basis.

For a list of current topics the Center is considering, email julia.shaw@heritage.org.

Guest Scholars include:

Dr. Gordon Lloyd, Pepperdine University
Dr. Joshua Dunn, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs
Dr. Andrew E. Busch, Claremont McKenna College
Dr. Lucas E. Morel, Washington and Lee University
Dr. Peter Schramm, Ashland University
Dr. Jeremy Rabkin, George Mason School of Law
Dr. Allen Guelzo, Gettysburg College
Dr. R.J. Pestritto, Hillsdale College

Research Associate

A ten month residency at Heritage, for post undergraduates, that provides the opportunity to research issues relating to the Constitution, the American Founding and conservative principles.

First Principle Forums

First Principles Forums are held on college campuses around the country. These conferences seeks to provide a much-needed education in the principles of liberty and constitutional self-government, as well as important issues of public policy, to a broad audience of students, policymakers and citizens.

Quotes Database

The quotes in this database are only approved for entry after careful review to ensure their accuracy. No quote from this database which has not been verified can be displayed. In many cases, the quotes are drawn directly from the various Works of the authors quoted, which are multi-volume, authoritative collections of the writings of the various founders. In others, the quotes are drawn from secondary commentaries on the founding, or edited volumes of the writings of the founders, but only after verification in other secondary sources or by recurring to the authoritative Works of the particular author.

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