Previous Taqrir articles have focused on the power of think tanks and lobbying groups in Washington DC. We have profiled such organizations as the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, and the United States Institute of Peace. Of equal fame and profound political influence is an extremely conservative and well-known think tank – the Heritage Foundation.
History and Structure
Founded in 1973, the Heritage Foundation is a think tank that formulates and promotes conservative public policies that are based on the values of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, a strong national defense, and “traditional American values.” The foundation conducts research on a broad range of topics, both domestic and international. On the domestic front, foundation scholars research and produce policies concerning agriculture, the economy, education, governmental reform, health care, and religion. In the international arena, foundation scholars focus on defense, terrorism, trade, economic freedom, the Middle East, and other parts of the world.
According to the Heritage Foundation’s records, it holds assets totaling approximately $123.7 million. In 2004, the foundation received $32.5 million in private contributions from donors. Using this money, the foundation employs about 60 expert scholars, sponsors events, meetings, and symposia, and even provides fellowships to doctoral students.
The Heritage Foundation is currently headed by Edwin J. Feulner, a prominent conservative who has served on many governmental committees and conservative boards. In 1989, conservative American President Ronald Reagan conferred on him the Presidential Citizens Medal, citing Feulner’s work and influence in shaping American policies.
Heritage Ideology
As mentioned previously, the Heritage Foundation formulates public policies based on its belief in free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, and a strong national defense. The foundation is famous for producing short policy briefs that busy politicians would be more likely to read. The foundation is known for pioneering the idea of “packaging” and marketing its policy initiatives, which has contributed to its success.
Heritage Foundation experts are famous for their roles as architects of the “Reagan Doctrine,” active during the Cold War, that portrayed the U.S.S.R. as an “evil empire” and justified American political support for anti-communist movements throughout the world. The prominence of Heritage scholars holding high positions in the Reagan administration showed the extent to which the Heritage Foundation actively seeks to influence policy, in addition to producing research.
Heritage Foundation experts and staff who have left the foundation to serve in powerful positions in the government include Edwin Meese, President Reagan’s attorney general, Elaine L. Chao, the current Secretary of Labor in President Bush’s cabinet, and L. Paul Bremer, who served as the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq from May 2003 to June 2004.
Heritage and the Middle East
As a region, the Middle East is important to the research of Heritage Foundation experts. Middle East experts employed by the foundation include James Phillips, an expert on international terrorism, Afghanistan, Iraq, and U.S. involvement in the Middle East, and John Hulsman, an expert on the global war on terror. Heritage experts have made several policy recommendations regarding the Middle East and US involvement in the region.
On its web site and through other means, the Heritage Foundation recommends that President Bush needs to continue to provide support to Iraq’s interim government. With regard to the Arab-Israeli conflict, Heritage scholars say that acts of terrorism committed by Palestinians are the chief barrier to peace in the region. In addition, Heritage scholars say that the United States must capture or kill Al-Qaeda leaders and supporters throughout the world. Finally, Heritage scholars say that the United States must put pressure on Syria, Iran, and the Sudan to cease their alleged state sponsorship of terrorism and terrorist activities.
The Heritage Foundation’s scholars who specialize in the Middle East approach the region with severe bias. They view the Middle East more as a problem to be solved than a region to be understood. At the same time, this bias is what their jobs require of them. Yet we cannot ignore the conclusions that Heritage scholars draw about the Middle East when we consider the broad influence they have exercised over American policy in the past.
As has been mentioned in previous Washington Report pieces, in order to understand American foreign policy in the Middle East, we must first understand the many factors that contribute to its formulation. Though confusing at times, there is a distinct difference between lobbying groups and think tanks in terms of their influence on United States policy. While lobbying groups enjoy the legal right to work at changing American governmental policies, think tanks are non-profit, non-governmental organizations which do not enjoy the same rights. However, many think tanks face accusations that they use their connections with politicians and government officials to influence the course of American governmental policy. As a powerful and wealthy think tank, the Heritage Foundation cannot escape such accusations.
