A conservative think tank was pushing the next president to deregulate the energy industry, relax clean air standards at EPA, freeze federal hiring and consolidate government agencies.
It was 1980.
The Heritage Foundation had drafted an extensive policy agenda in the hope that a conservative would replace then-President Jimmy Carter in the White House. The think tank then offered its proposals to President-elect Ronald Reagan’s transition team leader, Edwin Meese. The guide, published in January 1981, was a hit inside Reagan’s brain trust; the “Mandate for Leadership” was handed out during Reagan’s first Cabinet meeting.
The Heritage Foundation and its policy road map have become flash points in the 2024 presidential contest as Democrats have seized upon the conservative think tank’s Project 2025 to criticize Republicans’ policies. Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign launched ads naming Project 2025 as the campaign vows to continue criticizing the policy blueprint.
