Today, I am joining nearly 100 other free market leaders from across the nation in signing a statement of principles for American Conservatism.
These are principles enshrined in our Constitution and Declaration. It is a statement of what we are for, not what we're against. I join others in offering real solutions - not dreams or authoritarian schemes.
These principles affirm our commitment to free enterprise, free trade, free speech, strong families, balanced budgets, and the rule of law.
Those who have signed the document represent a range of disciplines, roles, and philosophies. Some are journalists, authors, and public intellectuals. Others have worked in federal, state, or local government, or on political campaigns. Still others teach at schools or universities, or litigate cases, or have enjoyed success in business or other professions and serve the conservative movement primarily as donors, board members, and advisors.
This is what we believe.
On September 11, 1960, a group of young conservatives gathered in the home of William F. Buckley, Jr., in Sharon, Connecticut. For decades, the timeless ideals embodied in the document they produced animated the American conservative movement.
Today’s public policy challenges are different than the ones faced by the Sharon Statement signatories in 1960. Authoritarianism is on the rise both at home and abroad. More and more people on the left and right reject the distinctive creed that made America great: that individual liberty is essential to the moral and physical strength of the nation.
In order to ensure that America’s best days are ahead, we affirm the following principles:
Liberty. Among Americans’ most fundamental rights is the right to be free from the restrictions of arbitrary force: a right that, in turn, derives from the inseparability of free will from what it means to be human. Liberty is indivisible, and political freedom cannot long exist without economic freedom.
The pursuit of happiness. Most individuals are happiest in loving families, and within stable and prosperous communities in which parents are free to engage in meaningful work, and to raise and educate their children according to their values.
The foundation of prosperity. The free enterprise system is the foundation of prosperity. Americans can only prosper in an economy in which they can afford the basics of everyday life: food, shelter, health care, and energy. A corrosive combination of government intervention and private cronyism is making these basics unaffordable to many Americans. We commit to reducing the cost of living through competitive markets, greater individual choice, and free trade with free people, while upholding the rule of law, freedom of contract, and freedom of association.
Full faith and credit. The skyrocketing federal debt—which now exceeds the annual economic output of the United States—is an existential threat to the future prosperity, liberty, and happiness of Americans. We commit to building a constructive reform agenda that can restore America’s fiscal sustainability, ensuring that future generations inherit a more prosperous and secure nation than the one we now inhabit.
A nation of laws, not men. Equality under the law is a foundational principle of American liberty. Unfortunately, today this principle is under attack from those who believe that the rule of law does not apply to them. One manifestation of this problem is the explosion of unaccountable and unelected regulators who routinely exceed their statutory authority and abridge Americans’ constitutional rights. The President should only nominate policymakers and judges who are committed to upholding these rights.
Americans by choice. Immigration is a principal driver of American prosperity and achievement. America is exceptional because anyone—from any corner of the earth—can seek to live in America and become an American. Nearly all American citizens descend from someone who came here from somewhere else, and we must treat all citizens equally under the law. To this end, the United States, as a sovereign nation, has the right to secure its borders and design a rational immigration policy—built on the rule of law—that advances the interests and values of American citizens.
Out of many, one. The best way to unify a large and diverse nation like the United States is to transfer as many public policy choices as possible to families and communities. Much of the discord in America today comes from the fact that too many decisions are made for us by centralized authorities. The Constitution of the United States is the best arrangement yet devised for granting government the just authority to fulfill its proper role, while restraining it from the concentration and abuse of power.
America’s promissory note. Martin Luther King, Jr. described the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence as containing “magnificent words…a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.” Prior to 1964, however, slavery and segregation were enforced by state governments and, in many cases, by the federal government. Many who descend from victims of this system now face economic and personal hurdles that are the direct result of this legacy. We commit to expanding opportunity for those who face challenges due to past government restrictions on individual and economic freedom. We adamantly oppose racial discrimination in all its forms, either against or for any person or group of people.
The shining city on a hill. American foreign policy must be judged by one criterion above all: its service to the just interests of the United States. Americans are safest and freest in a peaceful world, led by the United States, in which other nations uphold individual liberty and the sovereignty of their neighbors.
Freedom of conscience. Essential to a free society is the freedom to say and think what one believes to be true. Under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution, federal and state governments have a legal obligation to uphold and protect these freedoms. Private institutions have a moral obligation to do the same.
Note: Signatories to this statement speak only for themselves as individuals, and not for any institutions with which they are affiliated. Institutional affiliations listed below are for informational purposes only.
Ian Adams • @IAtheTeapot International Center for Law and Economics
Sara Albrecht • @SaraWynne Liberty Justice Center
Tim Andrews • @Tim_Andrews Americans for Tax Reform
Richard K. Armey • @DickArmey Former U.S. House Majority Leader
Benji Backer • @BenjiBacker American Conservation Coalition
David L. Bahnsen • @DavidBahnsen National Review Institute / Acton Institute
Jeffrey Bailey • @JeffreyBaileyMA Grace Baptist Christian Academy
Ashley Baker • @AndAshleySays Committee for Justice
Ashley Baker • @AndAshleySays Committee for Justice
Garrett Ballengee • @GBalleng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy
André Béliveau • @TheRealBeliveau National Taxpayers Union Foundation / John Locke Foundation
Ralph Benko • @TheWebster The Capitalist League
Brian Blase • @Brian_Blase Paragon Health Institute
Drew Bond • @BondDrewBond Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions
Donald Boudreaux Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Adam Brandon • @Adam_Brandon FreedomWorks
Buzz Brockway • @BuzzBrockway Georgia Center for Opportunity
Matthew Brouillette • @MattBrouillette Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs
Donald Bryson • @DonaldBryson John Locke Foundation
Jeb Bush • @JebBush Foundation for Excellence in Education / Former Governor of Florida
Jack Butler • @JackButler4815 National Review
John Byrnes • @JohnByrnes13 Concerned Veterans for America
Chris Cargill • @MtnStatesPolicy Mountain States Policy Center
Douglas Carswell • @DouglasCarswell Mississippi Center for Public Policy
Cindy Cerquitella America’s Future
Alejandro Chafuen • @Chafuen Chase Foundation of Virginia
Mona Charen • @MonaCharen The Bulwark
Lanhee Chen • @LanheeChen Hoover Institution at Stanford University
Neil Chilson • @Neil_Chilson Center for Growth and Opportunity
Akash Chougule • @AkashJC Americans for Prosperity
Andrew Cline • @DrewHampshire Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy
John Colman Ave Maria University
Carrie Conko • @CConko State Policy Network
Charles C.W. Cooke • @CharlesCWCooke National Review
James R. Copland • @JamesRCopland Manhattan Institute
Kurt Couchman • @KurtCouchman Americans for Prosperity
Johnny B. Davis Helms School of Government, Liberty University
Soren Dayton • @SorenDayton Niskanen Center
Ben DeGrow • @BenDeGrow Foundation for Excellence in Education
Donald Devine • @DonaldDevineCo1 The Fund for American Studies
Daniel Di Martino • @DanielDiMartino Manhattan Institute / Dissident Project
Trey Dimsdale • @TreyDimsdale Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy
Claire Kittle Dixon • @TalentMarket Talent Market
Tiana Lowe Doescher • @TianaTheFirst Washington Examiner
John Dodd North Carolina Center-Right Coalition
Rick Esenberg • @RickEsenberg Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty
Williamson Evers Independent Institute
Michael Franc The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity
James Franko Kansas Policy Institute
Caleb Fuller • @CalebSFuller Grove City College
Brian Garst • @BrianGarst Center for Freedom & Prosperity
Peter Gattuso • @PhilliesGattuso Connecticut College
Rick Geddes Cornell University
Vance Ginn • @VanceGinn Pelican Center for Public Policy
James K. Glassman • @JamesKGlassman1 Former U.S. Under Secretary of State
Judge Glock • @JudgeGlock Manhattan Institute
Jonah Goldberg • @JonahDispatch The Dispatch / American Enterprise Institute
Francisco Gonzalez • @FGonzalez1978 Economic Club of Miami
Andrew D. Graham Alliance Defending Freedom
Dan Greenberg Competitive Enterprise Institute
Russ Greene • @GreenPlusAnE Stand Together Trust
Samuel Gregg • @DrSamuelGregg American Institute for Economic Research
Alyssa Farah Griffin • @AlyssaFarah The View / CNN
Joel Griffith • @JoelGriffith Heritage Foundation
James Gwartney Florida State University
David Harsanyi • @DavidHarsanyi The Federalist / National Review
John Hart • @JohnHart333 Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions
Jon Hartley • @Jon_Hartley_ The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity / Stanford University
Kevin Hassett Hoover Institution at Stanford University
Steven F. Hayward • @StevenFHayward University of California, Berkeley
Christie Herrera Philanthropy Roundtable
Todd Hester Yorktown Foundation for Public Policy
Randy Hicks Georgia Center for Opportunity
Quin Hillyer • @QuinHillyer The Washington Examiner
Charles Hilu • @CharlesHilu73 Intercollegiate Studies Institute / Washington Free Beacon
G. William Hoagland • @BillHoagland Bipartisan Policy Center
Stacy Hock • @SAWHock Texas Public Policy Foundation / UATX
Kim Holmes • @KimSmithHolmes Former Assistant Secretary of State
John Hood • @JohnHoodNC John William Pope Foundation
Alexandra Hudson • @LexiOHudson Civic Renaissance
Scott Immergut • @ScottImmergut Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson & Good Fellows
Paul Johnson • @OptAmerican The Optimistic American • Former Mayor of Phoenix
Gordon Jones Mount Liberty College
Pete Kaliner • @PeteKaliner The Pete Kaliner Show
Daniel Klein George Mason University
Andrew Langer Institute for Liberty
Kent Lassman • @KentatCEI Competitive Enterprise Institute
Russ Latino • @RussLatino Magnolia Tribune Institute
Bill Laub Nevada Policy Research Institute
Frank Lavin • @HelloFrankLavin Hoover Institution at Stanford University
Joseph G. Lehman Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Eli Lehrer • @EliLehrerDC R Street Institute
Matt Lewis • @MattKLewis The Daily Beast
Carol Platt Liebau • @CPLiebau Yankee Institute for Public Policy
Dan Lips • @DanLips The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity / Foundation for American Innovation
Mario H. Lopez • @MarioHLopez Hispanic Leadership Fund
Richard Lorenc • @RLorenc Iron Light
Rachel Lu • @RCLu Liberty Fund
Carrie Lukas • @CarrieLukas Independent Women’s Forum
James Manley College of Central Florida
Bethany Marcum Alaska Policy Forum
Casey Mattox • @CaseyMattox_ Americans for Prosperity
Derrick Max • @DerrickAMax Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy
Heath Mayo • @HeathMayo Principles First
Wilfred McClay Hillsdale College
Brooke Medina • @Brooke_Medina_ John Locke Foundation
Annette Meeks • @MeeksGOP Freedom Foundation of Minnesota
Adam Meyerson Stand Together
Mark Miller Pacific Legal Foundation
Adam Millsap • @AA_Millsap Stand Together Trust
Daniel J. Mitchell • @DanielJMitchell Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Lorenzo Montanari • @LorenzMontanari Tholos Foundation / Property Rights Alliance
Buckley Morlot Leaders on the Rise
Jon Murphy • @JMurphy8289 Nicholls State University
Iain Murray • @ISMurray Competitive Enterprise Institute
Todd Myers • @WAPolicyGreen Washington Policy Center
Grover Norquist • @GroverNorquist Americans for Tax Reform
Brent Orrell • @OrrellAEI American Enterprise Institute
Catherine R. Pakaluk • @CRPakaluk Catholic University
Mike Palicz • @Mike_Palicz Americans for Tax Reform
James Patterson • @McGillPatterson Ave Maria University
Dan Peters Philanthropy Partners
John Phelan • @Minnesotanomics Center of the American Experiment
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer • @BayerPicciotti The Conscience Project
Juliana Geran Pilon The Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization
Danielle Pletka • @DPletka American Enterprise Institute
Ramesh Ponnuru • @RameshPonnuru National Review / American Enterprise Institute
Art Pope John William Pope Foundation
Phillip Prange • @PhilPrange Bradley Impact Fund
Jason Pye • @Pye Due Process Institute
Roger Ream • @RogerRReam The Fund for American Studies
Vikrant Reddy • @VPReddy Stand Together
Richard M. Reinsch II • @Reinsch84 Law & Liberty
Tim Rice • @TimERice1 Washington Free Beacon
Jay Richards • @DrJayRichards Discovery Institute
McKenzie Richards • @McK_Richards Pacific Research Institute
Victor Riches Goldwater Institute
Kevin Riffe • @Kevin_Riffe West Virginia Center-Right Coalition
Jenna A. Robinson • @JARobinson1 James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal
Dalibor Roháč • @DaliborRohac American Enterprise Institute
Noah Rothman • @NoahCRothman National Review
Benjamin Rothove • @BenjaminRothove Keep Nine Coalition
Karl Rove • @KarlRove The Wall Street Journal
Avik Roy • @Avik The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity / Forbes
Lucca Ruggieri • @Lucca_Ruggieri Keep Nine Coalition
Peter St. Onge • @ProfStOnge Heritage Foundation
Jack Salmon • @_JackSalmon_ Philanthropy Roundtable
Alexander Salter Rawls College of Business and Free Market Institute, Texas Tech University
Jeff Sandefer ED Foundation
Christina Sandefur • @CMSandefur Goldwater Institute
Gabriel Scheinmann • @GabeScheinmann Alexander Hamilton Society
Christian Schneider • @Schneider_CM National Review
Ilya Shapiro • @IShapiro Manhattan Institute
Colin Sharkey • @ColinAAE Association of American Educators
Steven Sheffrin • @SSheffrin Tulane University
Timothy R. Snowball • @LibertyLaw1776 Freedom Foundation
Andrew Spiropoulos Oklahoma City University School of Law
Justin Stapley • @JustinWStapley Freemen Foundation
Michael Steele • @MichaelSteele U.S. Vote Foundation
Jim Stergios • @JimStergios Pioneer Institute
Aaron Stover • @ADStover Heartland Institute
Will Swaim • @WillSwaim California Policy Center
Tyler Syck • @TylerSyck University of Pikeville / The Vital Center
Charlie Sykes • @SykesCharlie The Bulwark
Ed Tarnowski • @EdTarnowski EdChoice
Andrew J. Taylor • @AJTFOSP Free & Open Societies Project, North Carolina State University
Fernando Tesón • @FTeson Florida State University College of Law
Wayne Thorburn Former Executive Director, Young Americans for Freedom
John Toedtman Caesar Rodney Institute
John Tillman • @JohnMTillman American Culture Project
Mark Tooley • @MarkDTooley Institute on Religion & Democracy
John Tsarpalas • @JTsarpalas Nevada Policy Research Institute
Jim Vokal • @Jim_Vokal Platte Institute
Joe Walsh • @WalshFreedom White Flag with Joe Walsh
Jim Waters • @JimWatersBIPPS Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions
Devon Westhill • @DevonWesthill Center for Equal Opportunity
Joel C. White • @JWhite_Health Council for Affordable Health Coverage
George F. Will • @GeorgeWill The Washington Post
Kevin Williamson The Dispatch
Paul Winfree • @PaulWinfree Economic Policy Innovation Center
Scott Winship • @SWinshi American Enterprise Institute
Dan Winslow New England Legal Foundation
Aaron Withe • @AaronWithe Freedom Foundation
Ryan Wolfe • @RyanWolfeTFAS The Fund for American Studies
Tony Woodlief • @TonyWoodlief State Policy Network
Kenny Xu • @KennyMXu Color Us United