H I G H LI G H TS FR O M

OPPORTUNITY

AMERICAS
FOR ALL

AmericAs
For All
FOREWORD

H IGHLIG H TS F R OM

OPPORTUNITY

2 4 8 11 14 16

AMERICAS OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL

From CRONY BUREAUCRACY to FREE ENTERPRISE From WELFARE STATE to OPPORTUNITY SOCIETY

From MANAGED DECLINE to CHAMPIONING LIBERTY

From IMPERIAL RULE to CONSTITUTIONAL GOvERNMENT

Foreword
By Edwin Feulner and Sen. Jim DeMint

deas have consequences, but ideas alone are not enough. Ideas must have power behind them, for unless we turn our ideas into actions, they cannot accomplish anything. Every year, The Heritage Foundation is doing more to put the power of the American people behind the ideas to build an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society ourish. That is our vision and the cause of every Heritage member and associate. Since its founding in 1973, The Heritage Foundation has focused on generating ideas that can advance conservative policies and on building national support for those ideas so our leaders will translate them into public policy. A big part of our mission has been the Mandate for Leadership. The rst Mandate, published in 1980, was a how-to manual for the Reagan Administration. It is worth remembering that when President Reagan rst came to Washington, there was not a very large contingent of conservatives in Washington. Mandate laid out a blueprint for the new Administration. Our ideas worked and helped generate the economic growth that has come to dene the Reagan years.

Americas Opportunity for All

We have also worked to inspire conservatives outside Washington. One of us has traveled hundreds of thousands of miles, speaking to groups large and small about conservative ideas. The other decided to run for Congress after reading dozens of Heritage policy papers that explained the organizations ideas and principles. There are no permanent victories in politics and no permanent defeats. The most recent presidential election returned a staunchly liberal leader to o ce. That presents a hurdle, but we dont believe it is an insurmountable one. The problem in the 2012 elections was not that conservative ideas were voted down. The problem is that we did not do a good enough job of presenting our ideas to the American people. That is why Heritage is proud to roll out our latest publication. Americas Opportunity for All is an optimistic agenda, packed with ideas that will get the country back on the right course. We look forward to discussing it with opinion leaders, policymakers, and Americans everywhere. Americas Opportunity for All explains the problems facing the country in areas ranging from American exceptionalism to welfare. It highlights the principles that guide our thinking and provides commonsense policy answers to our national problems. This publication is, as it should be, specic, targeted, and boldan urgent and focused message for these challenging times. Our ideas are truly in the ascendant because they work and liberal ideas dont. After you read Americas Opportunity for All, we believe you will share that view. Onward!

Edwin Feulner President

Sen. Jim DeMint President-Elect

heritage.org/Opportunity

AmericAs
For All
It is time to get to work.

OPPORTUNITY

oo many Americans are either out of work or have altogether given up looking for employment. Overall compensation is at, and economic growth is anemic. Uncontrolled spending and a surging debt are driving America into bankruptcy. High taxes and the crushing weight of endless rules and regulations burden our economy. Americans were told by the Obama Administration that prosperity requires more spending, more government, and more taxes. The country continues down this phony path even though most Americans think government does too much. Important questions are unsettled, and our politics remain divided: The presidency and the Senate are in the hands of one party, and the House of Representatives and a majority of state legislatures and governorships are in the hands of the other. Some argue that conservatives should accept all of this. They say we must be resigned to permanent economic stagnation, bureaucratic rule, and national decline. We disagree. We believe this is the time to rea rm the principles that guide us, to champion our ideas of opportunity and upward mobility, and to redouble our e orts to change Americas course. There are important lessons to be learned from the recent election and the current trends in American politics, to be sure. But the

Americas Opportunity for All

answer is not to change ideas based on election REAL LIVES, returns. It is to articulate REAL PEOPLE more powerfully a compelling vision of a prosRead on for true stories of the perous and secure nation impact these ideas have on in which the American everyday Americans and see Dream is within reach of the full plan online at everyone. heritage.org/Opportunity. We propose bold reforms that meet the demands of the moment and address the magnitude of the challenges before us. We will ght wherever possible, constantly point out the failures of liberalism, be ready with conservative alternatives at every turn, and lay the ground for change to come. And we will take our arguments to all Americans: to middleclass families struggling in a bad economy, to young people worried about their prospects, to those who are stuck in poverty and reaching out for the ladder of opportunity, to retirees worried about their grandchildren, to entrepreneurs and job creators seeking to expand prosperity.

The Promise of America

he American Dream grows directly out of our countrys exceptional principles. That all are fundamentally equal and self-governing, and that government is limited to its core functions, means that we have the liberty and opportunity to live our lives, control our fate, and pursue our happiness. That each has a right to the rewards of his own laborthe promise that you can keep what you earn and that what you save and acquire is your

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propertycreates a society in which every member can work hard, achieve success, and advance in life to the benet of all. The monumental achievement of America is that it makes comfort and general a uence, safety and security, self-government and the blessings of libertyall traditionally the province of the privileged fewavailable to everyone. Based on the principles proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by the United States Constitution, generations of Americans have created a nation unlike any other. Our economy produces almost a quarter of the worlds wealth; our military forces are the most powerful on the globe. The institutions of civil societyfamilies, religious communities, and private associationsthrive in America. We are an independent people, among the most hard-working, generous, and forward-looking in the world. It is the potent combination of liberty under the rule of law, the endless creativity of the marketplace, and the enduring moral character of the American people that assures opportunity for all and fuels the unlimited promise of America.

Lost Opportunity?
Today, we face an unprecedented dilemma.

ntended to be a catalyst for opportunity, government has instead become the chief barrier to opportunity. In recent years, the federal government has been on an unprecedented binge of spending, taxing, borrowing, and regulating that is making America economically moribund and more government-centric than ever. The general trend, aided and abetted by both major political parties, has been going on far too long. Congress after Congress and President after President have made unwise and una ordable promises. The federal government is bloated, is vastly overextended, and operates beyond its proper

Americas Opportunity for All

bounds. It is centralized and bureaucratic, and we SAVING THE are wrapped in its endless AMERICAN DREAM rules and regulations. The welfare state takes a toll How can we x the debt, on our nances, but worse, cut spending and restore it ensnares an ever-larger prosperity in America? Our share of the population in Saving the American Dream dependence. This trajecplan solves the national debt tory is unsustainable, and crisis, reduces government it threatens to destroy the spending, creates a simple, at foundations of our econand fair tax system and makes omy and our civic culture health care affordable. See the and to steal the American full plan and how it affects you Dream from our children. at SavingTheDream.org. It does not have to be this way. Nothing about todays conditions is inevitable or irreversible. We can reduce the size and scope of government and let the private sector restore economic productivity and opportunity. We can reform the core programs of government and provide assistance to those who need it because they have fallen on hard times. All of this is possible if we make a concerted e ort to change Americas course, making clear the dire circumstances we face; building a consensus in favor of a new direction; and advancing a forward-looking reform agenda to strengthen free enterprise and eliminate cronyism, re up the engines of opportunity and upward mobility, provide for our nations defense and champion liberty, and rebuild constitutional self-government. Consistent with Saving the American Dream: The Heritage Plan to Fix the Debt, Cut Spending, and Restore Prosperity and our other major policy publications, this is our opportunity agenda for America.

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From cronY BureAucrAcY to Free enTerprise

ree markets, private enterprise, and individual initiative will always lead to more opportunity and prosperity than income redistribution, central planning, and the cronyism they inevitably breed.

Todays governing elites think government should micromanage the economy and redistribute wealth to even out inequalities. But such policies simply do not work, instead restricting opportunity BoosT Your and impeding economic Knowledge growth. The expanding Our FREE e-newsletters are size and scope of govthe fastest way to stay on ernment that results top of whats going on in and the growing class Washington. From Budget of so-called experts Sense, our weekly look at how that oversee it produce your tax dollars are being pork-lled earmarks, a spent, to The Morning Bell, our tax code riddled with daily roundup of the days top loopholes, and a regulanews, we offer 17 e-newsletters tory regime that rigs the on the topics most important rules in favor of special to you. Join 350,000 other interests. This approach subscribers and sign up today to the nations economic at heritage.org/subscriptions. life is unfair, destroys economic competition,

Americas Opportunity for All

and has brought us to the brink of scal crisis. Conservatives advocate a program of vigorous economic growth that will create prosperity across the board and expand opportunity for all Americansnot just those with friends in high places. Economic growth does not come from some master economic plan managed by government; it is the result of the decisions and actions of millions of people working, creating, spending, exchanging, and pursuing millions of different avenues of individual opportunity. The best policies are those that encourage work, savings, and investment; expand the economy; and lead to more jobs and higher earnings. A growing economy puts more money in families pocketbooks and charities budgets, helps the poor and unemployed nd jobs, and helps families save for retirement and their childrens education. Rather than trying to guarantee economic outcomes, government should be a limited support structure for opportunity, economic growth, and human ourishing. It should remove arbitrary obstacles to economic markets, break down articial structures that prevent competition, keep tax rates low, reduce government spending that crowds out private ventures and capital, and prevent the overregulation of private enterprise.

IN AmericAs OppOrtunity FOr ALL, SEE OUR PLAN TO:

Rein in Uncontrolled Bureaucracy Empower America with Affordable Energy Free Americas Workers from Outdated Labor Laws Overhaul Financial Regulation to Remove Barriers to Investment Conserve the Environment Through Responsible Stewardship Reform Taxes to Spur Economic Growth and Create Jobs Cut Spending, Fix the Debt, and Reform Entitlements

heritage.org/Opportunity

DEATH BY TAXES

eath and taxes are the only things certain in life. But the former shouldnt lead to the latter.

The Death Tax, assessed on an estate when the owner passes on, prevents families from building wealth and extending it from one generation to another. Consider Grande Harvest Wine, a 40-year-old familyowned wine retailer operating in Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The goal of owner Bruce Nevins, like many other entrepreneurs and business owners, is to have his children work alongside him and one day to pass the business on to them. But hes worried the Death Tax will prevent that from happening because his son very likely wont be able to afford all the tax liabilities that will be passed to him when his father dies and leaves him the business. And that means the family could lose the business altogether. So, instead of investing in growing his operation, hiring more workers, and paying higher wages, Nevins is spending money on expensive life insurance policies. He pays tens of thousands of dollars each year in the hope these policies will pay his heirs enough to cover the Death Tax liability when he dies. Full repeal of the Death Tax would have an enormous positive effect on the economy, and would provide relief to countless family-owned businesses like Grande Harvest Wine. That would be good for owners, and for the millions of unemployed Americans who are looking to get back to work.

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Americas Opportunity for All

From WELFARE StAtE to oppoRtUnItY SoCIEtY

he American Dream promises a dynamic society in which everyone can advance based on their talent and ability.

Our modern cradle-to-grave welfare state is structured in such a way that it hinders rather than boosts upward mobility. Despite a massive array of programs and colossal budgets, poverty rates remain high, our public education system is failing us, and the familywhose importance for the future well-being of children cannot be overstatedis falling apart among poor and low-income Americans. The do-it-all federal government crowds out the very private activities and social institutions that provide the best support and make up societys best safety net for the disadvantaged. What conservatives propose is an agenda to encourage upward mobility, not just for poor and low-income Americans, but also for an anxious middle class concerned about health care and retirement securityindeed, for everyone on the economic ladder. For those who cannot care for themselves or who stumble along the A HAnd Up, path, there should be a not A HAnd oUt basic, temporary safety See all our work on how to net formed with the help those who face obstacles active involvement and in life at heritage.org/welfare. leadership of civil society supplemented with assis-

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tance at the appropriate level of government. In impAcT oF the end, however, cultural oBAmAcAre renewalthe habits of work and good characAmericas health care system ter, strong families and needs reform, but not the vibrant social institutions, sort of changes enacted a robust ethic of selfunder Obamacare. Get the improvementdepends facts, figures, and the realon fundamentally restruclife impact of this law at our turing the welfare state special siteThe Impact of to secure basic commitObamacare at heritage.org/ ments, introduce private ImpactofObamaCare. choice and market incentives for earned success, and focus on upward mobility and opportunity, the most important elements of which are to be found outside and beyond government. Those who are struggling to get aheadthe poor, minorities, immigrantssu er the most when government controls the economy. The answer for everyone is to vigorously promote economic freedom and foster an environment in which we can all pursue the American Dream.

IN AmericAs OppOrtunity FOr ALL, SEE OUR PLAN TO:

End Obamacare and Finally Fix Healthcare Preserve Social Security as Real Insurance Make Welfare Work for the Poor Improve Education by Expanding Options Strengthen Immigration Through Commonsense Reforms Revitalize Marriage, Family, and Civil Society

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Americas Opportunity for All

MARRIAGE MATTERS

ames and Angela Woods met through Bishop Shirley Holloways House of Help/City of Hope programs.

These programs do an impressive job of promoting successful marriages: Of 100 couples who have been through the program, 97 are still married. A widow, Angela came to the ministry addicted to drugs and, in her words, on the street with my two children in a stroller made for one and in the depth of despair. James was a military vet who had drifted back to the ways of old friends when he saw that their drugsales prots dwarfed his humble paycheck as a truck driver. He came to the House of Help after serving two and a half years of a 20-year prison term. James and Angela began to put their lives back together after they met through the ministry. They married in 2000. Their union beneted from premarriage counseling and nancial guidance at the House of Help. Today, the Woodses have ve children and four grandchildren and are proud homeowners. They are proof that marriage works. Governments at all levels should support policies to promote and strengthen marriage while also making certain that they dont hinder the work of grassroots leaders.

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From MANAGED DECLINE to CHAMPIONING LIBERTY

n the Declaration of Independence, the people are said to possess the right to institute the government that to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Happiness is the ultimate objective, but safety comes rst.

Today, while government spending is soaring, defense spending relative to the size of the economy is near historical lows. The Obama Administration plans to hollow the military even more in the years ahead. Such policies jeopardize our safety, our ability to secure our interests, and our legitimate role in the world. Strategy should drive the budget, not the other way around: The mission of the United States military is determined by Americas vital interests and an assessment of the threats to those interests. Yes, there is waste and ine ciency in the defense budget, but the core and undisputed responsibility of the United States government to provide for the nations security must not be up for negotiation. Conservatives believe America is an exceptional nation, conceived in liberty and committed to upholding the cause of liberty and constitutional self-government. The United States must have the will and the means to stay involved in the world, both to defend the nation and protect its citizens from freedoms adversaries. Just as it is nave to think that we can rid the world of tyranny and remake other nations in our image, so it is foolish to claim that we can ignore threats to our sovereignty and independence. The best course is to defend Americas vital national interests in the light of its principles, maintaining the United States freedom of action while upholding liberty.

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Americas Opportunity for All

IN AMERICAS OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL, SEE OUR PLAN TO:

Provide for the Common Defense and Protect the Nation Secure Americas Interests and Advance Liberty in the World

AMERICA AT RISK

n some families, a father will proudly pass a car hes driven for many years along to his son, but Air Force

pilot David A. Deptula has gone even further. He earned his wings and ew an F-15 for the rst time in 1977. Thirty years later, his son, Lieutenant David A. Deptula II, ew the exact same jet at Kadena Air Force Base in Japan. We have really own these aircraft well beyond what originally would be believed as their replacement lifetime, the elder Deptula, a retired lieutenant general, says of the F-15s. The ghter was originally designed for a 4,000-hour service life. That was later extended to 8,000 hours. And now, because of some of the scal constraints that are being imposed on the Department of Defense, there is consideration being given to extending the lifetime even further. Instead of simply repairing aging planes, the Air Force needs enough funding so it can invest in the next-generation jets that can maintain American supremacy in the skies. See more stories at youtube.com/heritage.

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From IMPERIAL RULE to CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

he purpose of the United States Constitution is to secure to the American people the rights and liberties promised in the Declaration of Independence. It provides an energetic national government of limited powers, focused on core functions, with the structural arrangements that preserve liberty and make the American experiment in republican government work.

Today, the federal government has acquired a nearly unquestioned dominance over virtually every area of American life. The scope and depth of its rules mean that the national government regulates more and more of our most basic activities, from how much water is in our toilets to what kind of light bulbs we can buy. This is a government that is increasingly unlimited, undemocratic, and damaging to popular self-government. Restoring real limTHE CONSTITUTION, its on government will CLAUSE-BY-CLAUSE not occur all at once or Weve put the Constitution across the board. Nor online and paired it with a will it result from one jusearchable clause-by-clause dicial decision, presidenexamination and companion tial order, or comprehenTeaching Guide. Explore today sive piece of legislation. at ConstitutionOnline.com. Conservatives mean to focus government on its

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Americas Opportunity for All

THE LIGHT BULB STORY

ow many bureaucrats does it take to change a broken light bulb? The answer depends on whether it was

an incandescent bulb (now being phased out by the government) or a mercury-laden compact uorescent (CFL) bulb, one of those the federal government is forcing consumers to switch to. You can change a broken incandescent bulb in moments: Twist it out (using half a potato can help get the metal base out of the socket) and replace it. If you happen to break a CFL bulb, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends taking 14 steps to protect yourself. They include: Open a window or door to the outdoors and leave the room for ve to 10 minutes. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system (H&AC), if you have one. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place debris and paper/ cardboard in a glass jar with a metal lid. If a glass jar is not available, use a sealable plastic bag. (NOTE: Since a plastic bag will not prevent the mercury vapor from escaping, remove the plastic bag(s) from the home after cleanup.) Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your area. Some states and communities require that uorescent bulbs (broken or unbroken) be taken to a local recycling center. Of course, there is a much simpler remedy: The government could just repeal its ban on incandescent bulbs.

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primary obligations, restore its responsibility and democratic accountability, and correct its worst excesses by dening and pursuing a strategic path that measurably reintroduces constitutional limits on a government that is increasingly out of control. And we look to the states and the vitality of federalism to check Washingtons excess, model the successes of conservative ideas, and revive self-government.

IN AMERICAS OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL, SEE OUR PLAN TO:

Rebuild Constitutional SelfGovernment

Americas Opportunity

uided by Americas timeless truths and condent of its unlimited promise, The Heritage Foundation is advancing an opportunity agenda to change Americas course. This is no time to despair, for there is much to be done. We rededicate ourselves to our country and to advancing principled and innovative solutions to the problems confronting us. We will defend these principles and pursue these solutions tirelessly, deeply committed to this great nation, to conserving its great heritage, and to achieving its even greater future.

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Americas Opportunity for All

Americas Opportunity for All provides ideas that work:

Rein in Uncontrolled Bureaucracy Empower America with Affordable Energy Free Americas Workers from Outdated Labor Laws Overhaul Financial Regulation to Remove Barriers to Investment Conserve the Environment Through Responsible Stewardship Reform Taxes to Spur Economic Growth and Create Jobs Cut Spending, Fix the Debt, and Reform Entitlements End Obamacare and Finally Fix Health Care Preserve Social Security as Real Insurance Make Welfare Work for the Poor Improve Education by Expanding Options Strengthen Immigration Through Commonsense Reforms Revitalize Marriage, Family, and Civil Society Provide for the Common Defense and Protect the Nation Secure Americas Interests and Advance Liberty in the World Rebuild Constitutional Self-Government

But ideas are not enough

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But ideas are not enough

e must take our case directly to the people. To do that, we will start where all good marketing starts with research. If conservatives want Americans to understand and support our policies, we need to better understand their values and concerns, and how they perceive the role of government in their lives.

Conservative policies have proved their worth time and time again. If were not communicating in a way that makes that clear, we are doing a disservice to our fellow citizens. Thats why Heritage will increase our efforts to understand how Americans from all walks of life perceive public policy issuesand how better to communicate conservative solutions. Understanding public perceptions and how we change them will help launch a resurgence of conservative ideas in America. Working with policymakers in Washington, governors and state legislators, coalition partners, public policy experts, traditional and new media, citizen activists, and others dedicated to championing our message, we will strive to win the hearts and minds of all Americans.

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Americas Opportunity for All

The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institutiona think tankwhose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. Our vision is to build an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society ourish. As conservatives, we believe the values and ideas that motivated our Founding Fathers are worth conserving. As policy entrepreneurs, we believe the most e ective solutions are consistent with those ideas and values.

Is it still possible to achieve the American Dream? How can I make sure my children get a quality education? Is my familyis my countrysafe from terrorists? Will we be nancially secure once Ive retired from full-time work? Will I be able to protect my family from medical bills that could wipe us out?
All Americans grapple with these questions. They arent conned to any race, religion, voting bloc, or demographic. Americas Opportunity for All makes the argument for our principles and policies by speaking to everyday concerns. Through real-life examples and stories, we show how these ideas can provide everyone an opportunity for a better life.

Explore Americas Opportunity for All at heritage.org/Opportunity.

214 Massachusetts Avenue NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 546-4400 heritage.org