Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

B. KENNETH SIMON CENTER FOR AMERICAN STUIDES

Matthew Spalding, Director

The B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies sponsors lectures, organizes seminars and crafts publications with the objective of teaching up-and-coming and current leaders—those who shape opinions and make policy now and in the future—about the foundations of liberty, with a focus on the principles of the American political tradition, the fundamentals of economic freedom, and the basics of conservative thought and public policy.

Its mission is to promote the ideas and policies that will restore limited constitutional government in the United States, guided by the enduring principles of the American Founding.

The Center currently has three main areas of activities:

Heritage Congressional Fellows: The purpose of these seminars is to familiarize congressional staff with the basic principles of constitutional government and introduce the issues that should serve as a framework for the public discussion of constitutional questions, including proposed legislation, business before committees, floor debate on key issues, and advising members of Congress. Initiated in 2002, there are approximately 150 graduates of the program on Capitol Hill. Prominent legal scholars and constitutional experts, such as Edwin Meese, III of The Heritage Foundation, John Yoo of the University of California at Berkeley, Nelson Lund of George Mason School of Law, Roger Pilon of the Cato Institute, and Clint Bolick of the Institute for Justice conduct the luncheon seminars on Friday’s on Capitol Hill.

First Principles Seminars & Publications: A series of seminars and public lectures that focus on the principles of the American Founding and the basic principles of conservative thought, e.g., what it means (and doesn’t mean) to be a conservative and what that means for important public policy matters. Topics covered include limited government, federalism, basic economic theory, constitutional interpretation and American history. In addition, the Center publishes monographs and shorter essays on these themes with the public policy audience in mind.

Conferences: The Center hosts occasional lengthier programs to discuss larger topics in depth, for a day or a weekend and organized as a colloquium with several speakers and panels.