(Image via wbur.com)
Volunteer Writer: Zachary Buckler
Email: zbuckler@umassd.edu
Republicans have created a playbook to reform the federal government and consolidate power on January 20th, 2025, following the 2024 election of a conservative president.
Project 2025 is a massive collaboration between over seventy conservative organizations, dozens of authors, and hundreds of contributors, all spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation.
The nearly 900-page book identifies what conservatives believe are the problems America faces today and promises to quash them in the event of a Republican victory in 2024.
Brief History of The Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation has a long and storied history of aiding the Republican party and influencing policy. They were founded in 1973 during the Nixon administration when the conservative movement was in dire straits.
The Heritage Foundation created the first “Mandate for Leadership” playbook. Of the over two thousand conservative policies present in the handbook, two-thirds were later adopted as policy by President Ronald Reagan during his first year in office.
More recently, Donald Trump followed their playbook, adopting more than 64% of policy during his presidency. The Heritage Foundation is attempting to shape American politics by publishing another guide for Republican candidates.
Among the hundreds of policies and goals that Project 25 sets forth, the playbook makes four promises that will “decide America’s future.”
Promise #1: Restore Family as the Centerpiece of American Life and Protect Our Children
According to the Project 25 playbook, many of the problems America faces are caused by the collapse of marriage and the American family. Project 25 puts the well-being of families at the forefront of its promises.
It identifies issues such as fatherless homes, the Education System, pornography, and Big Tech. It also condemns divisive topics such as gender identity, critical race theory, and abortion, planning to remove these terms from school systems and government.
The proposed solution to these “problems” is to restrict and even reverse the progress made on these issues in the last few years and to uplift families through tax code and eliminating marriage penalties in federal welfare.
Promise #2: Dismantle the Administrative State and Return Self-Governance to the American People
The writers of this section argue that political power has shifted away from the people and has been decentralized from the legislative branch.
They claim that federal agencies that form the Administrative State, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education, and the Department of Justice, among others, have taken power from Congress.
By delegating decision-making to federal agencies, Congress shifts accountability away from itself towards unelected and unfireable individuals.
Project 25 has plans to return power and accountability to Congress by using executive tools such as firing federal bureaucrats, shuttering corrupt bureaus and agencies, and “muzzle woke propaganda” at all levels of government.
These actions will supposedly return power to the American people and save taxpayer dollars.
Promise #3: Defend Our Nation’s Sovereignty, Borders, and Bounty Against Global Threats
The premise of Promise #3 is that international organizations and treaties that the American elite engages in undermine the people’s consent and strip the people of their constitutional authority over their own countries’ future.
The claims are that the United States enters into agreements with organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union that are isolated from the influence of American elections and don’t share the interests of America.
Trade agreements with China have subverted American culture through Big Tech and stolen industry, and the deals have only benefitted a select number of individuals and corporations.
The Left’s support for open borders is veiled as “cheap grace” that only serves to lower wages and destroy the concept of a nation-state from American ethos.
The proposed solutions to these problems are to end any engagement with international entities and agreements that erode the Constitution, end all economic engagement with China, and close the American borders from illegal immigration.
The next Conservative president should assert American energy interests by using natural gas and oil reserves to invigorate the economy and industrial growth.
Promise #4: Secure Our God-Given Individual Rights to Live Freely — What Our Constitution Calls “The Blessings of Liberty”
The final promise made is to affirm that “all men are created equal” and that everyone can pursue “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The focus of this section is on the rich and powerful who supposedly reject those notions. The elite just want to have control over the American citizens while having free reign to conduct their activities.
It is stated in this section that “four of the six richest counties in the United States are suburbs of Washington, D.C.” despite lacking any productive industry.
How should the next conservative president solve these problems and give economic freedom back to the people?
The solution is to grow the economy through policy, provide educational opportunities outside public schools and universities, and expand opportunities for workers and small businesses.
The plan is to also crack down on corrupt businesses with political influence and use antitrust laws against corporate monopolies.
There are thirty policies and changes that make up a majority of the book. If the next President-elect is a Republican, America is likely to see the adoption of several of these policies, considering the Heritage Foundation’s history.
Whether you support or oppose the topics discussed in the playbook, it is crucial to be educated on the subject and to discuss it with others to form your opinion.
Stay informed, Corsairs!