Restoring America is running a new kind of think tank series, “The Right Way Forward,” which does not ask conservatives to speak as a chorus but to argue in earnest.
Beginning the week of May 11, leading conservative think tanks will square off in the first of four debates that will tackle the defining questions of the post-Trump conservative movement. The opening installment examines conservatism’s fault lines over the role of the state in the economy.
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Liberal policies don’t work even when rebranded as ‘conservative’
By David Burton, Advancing American Freedom
“Call it what you will: economic nationalism, industrial policy, compassionate conservatism, ‘conservative economics,’ America first, the new conservatism, or common good conservatism. They have been sold by the Left under the banner of fairness, economic justice, or social justice. They are now being promoted by some who call themselves conservative under the banner of American patriotism.”
How Trump’s tariffs can paradoxically raise economic freedom
By Peter St. Onge, Heritage Foundation
“Trump’s tariffs are doing exactly what Reagan’s tariffs did: reducing foreign barriers in conjunction with reduced tax and regulatory burdens for all American businesses and entrepreneurs.”
The Trump-Pharma deals reflect the flaws of state capitalism
“The administration’s preference for unilateralism increases the possibility of a reversal or major rollback of its policies when new officials take over.”
Making housing work for Americans
By John Gibbs, Heritage Foundation
“Making housing better for Americans by reducing financialization and improving the wealth-building potential of mortgages, would likely be broadly supported by Americans on both sides of the political spectrum.”
The GOP’s protectionism detour has run its course
By Colin Grabow, Cato Institute
“Protectionism isn’t just an economic loser but also a political one. A key factor behind Trump’s 2024 victory was voter anger over rising costs. Higher tariffs, and the higher prices they create, cut directly against that concern.”
Correct the birthplace citizenship interpretation for economic security
By Robert Rector and Lora Ries, Heritage Foundation
“Nearly 100 academic studies have examined this topic, of which 86% reported the commonsense result: Low-skill immigrants push down the earnings and employment of lower-skilled, U.S.-born workers.”
Conservatives must embrace personal responsibility and reject victimhood
By Preston Brashers, Advancing American Freedom
“When Congress is inevitably forced to enact needed reforms, demagogues will try to convince Americans that they’re victims. Indeed, there will be collateral damage because Americans entrusted their retirement to politicians who promised that future generations would sustain an unsustainable system forever.”
Industrial policy is not populist
By Judge Glock, Manhattan Institute
“Despite what some in the media say, this new industrial policy has not emerged out of populist demands. It has come from the strained efforts of politicians and intellectuals to justify business handouts using the language of populism, or simply to hide the reality of industrial policy from the public.”
AI must serve human flourishing
By Joel Thayer, America First Policy Institute
“If we intentionally design systems that respect human dignity, reinforce community, and promote shared prosperity, AI could become man’s greatest ally — rather than his reckoning.”
Trump’s dangerous economic experiment
“Trump’s sharp departure from earlier Republican Party orthodoxy is particularly regrettable, coming at a time when the artificial intelligence revolution is gathering steam.”
Trump is bringing factories back. Where are the workers?
By Michael Faulkender and Michael Shires, America First Policy Institute
“The administration’s policies have opened a window to American opportunity, but it will not stay open long. Shipyards in Virginia and semiconductor factories in Arizona need skilled workers before contracts are even finalized.”
The New Right wants to help workers. Its labor policy will hurt them
By Rachel Greszler, Advancing American Freedom
“A genuinely pro-worker conservatism trusts in the capacity of individuals, families, and communities to make their own decisions, and seeks to create the conditions under which those decisions can lead to upward mobility and economic security.”
You can’t pick winners and call it deregulation
By Shawn Regan, Manhattan Institute
“On one of the central questions facing the modern Right — when government should intervene in economic affairs and when it should step aside — conservatives themselves remain divided. The consequences are significant.”
The future of America depends on flourishing families
By Delano Squires, Heritage Foundation
“An expansion in IVF access and use would likely only encourage more women to delay marriage and children, and do little to reverse demographic decline.”
