One thing that is probably very misunderstood about the Project 2025 initiated by The Heritage Foundation is that it will enforce a hard-and-fast, unbending conservative agenda. Contrary to this, however, Project 2025 is meant to present the next conservative administration with a flexible, comprehensive policy framework. Another misconception might be that it represents only the views of one organization; however, in reality, it is a collaborative effort bringing together over 50 conservative organizations.
Who is behind Project 2025?
Project 2025 is helmed by The Heritage Foundation but embodies a coalition of many other conservative organizations. Some of the more prominent groups involved include the Independent Women’s Forum, Institute for Energy Research, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation. It provides the project with that group of experts and expertise in developing a solid policy agenda, together with a selected and trained staff of people ready to put it into practice from day one.
What is Project 2025?
Essentially, this is a conservative initiative by making sure that the next president who happens to be a conservative. There are four pillars to the initiative:
1.Consensus Policy Volume: This is a ‘how to’ guide for the governance of major federal agencies that details how major federal agencies should be governed while providing a unified conservative perspective, leaving some room for policy discretion.
- Personnel Database: A database for the selection and vetting of personnel to ensure levels of government are properly staffed with able and politically like-minded people.
- Presidential Administration Academy: An education effort involving initial training for people new to government, and advanced seminars for experienced personnel.
- The Playbook: Detailed transition plans prepared for each federal agency, ready to execute on the day the president is sworn into office.
What Does Not Constitute Project 2025?
Project 2025 does not include calls for the abolition of no-fault divorce, total abolition of abortions with no exceptions, banning contraceptives, increasing the retirement age, mandating that Christian doctrines be taught in public schools, abolishing marriage equality, banning Muslims from entering the country, or abolishing the FDA and EPA.
Project 2025 is the most ambitious and sophisticated effort by conservatives to date in an attempt to influence the policy agenda of the next Republican administration, doubling down on empowering a president while the pursuit of long-standing conservative goals and hardline social agenda items dear to the religious right is maintained. Moderated by some extreme elements, the plan has been carefully conceived to appeal to Trump and his followers while leaving ample room for discretion in its actual application.
Reference:
https://www.project2025.org/policy/
https://www.vox.com/politics/360318/project-2025-trump-policies-abortion-divorce
