Leadership for America

Protect America

Reestablishing the rule of law as the foundation for constitutional...

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Statement of Purpose

The American justice system suffers from a prevailing judicial philosophy that treats judging as politics by another name; a dangerous trend to “over-criminalize”—that is, to criminalize conduct that is socially and economically beneficial or is better regulated by the civil justice system or administrative means; and a civil litigation system run amok by frivolous lawsuits and outrageous damage awards.

Objectives

  1. 1.Reform the “imperial judiciary,” which usurps power that belongs to the political branches of government and wrongly interferes with Heritage’s vision for America.

  2. 2.Restore the courts to their constitutional role, which is to protect individual liberty, property rights, and free enterprise and to enforce the constitutional limits on government.

  3. 3.Reform America’s civil justice system by restoring its traditional role, which is to fairly enforce contracts and property rights, justly mediate disputes involving claims of injury or damage, and follow the rules involving private disputes established by the legislature.

  4. 4.Reverse the dangerous trend to criminalize conduct that is socially and economically beneficial or is better regulated by the civil justice system or administrative means.

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Experts From This Initiative

  • Edwin Meese III Edwin Meese III

    Edwin Meese III is a prominent leader, thinker and elder statesman in the conservative movement - and America itself. Meese holds th...

  • Robert Alt Robert Alt

    Robert Alt is a Senior Legal Fellow and Deputy Director of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation....

  • Todd Gaziano Todd Gaziano

    Todd Gaziano focuses on legal and judicial reform and such constitutional issues as ensuring that all citizens are accorded equal treatm...

  • Paul Larkin

    Paul J. Larkin Jr. directs The Heritage Foundation’s project to counter abuse of the criminal law, particularly at the federal level, as...

  • Hans von Spakovsky Hans von Spakovsky

    Hans von Spakovsky examines how civil justice is administered in state and federal courts as senior legal fellow in The Heritage Foundat...

  • Charles Stimson Charles Stimson

    Charles “Cully” D. Stimson is a leading expert in criminal law, military law, military commissions and detention policy at The Heritage ...

  • Elizabeth Garvey Elizabeth Garvey

OTHER LEADERSHIP for AMERICA INITIATIVES

  • First Principles First Principles

    Rediscovering our principles in order to reclaim our future.

  • American Leadership American Leadership

    Advancing American leadership and freedom in the world.

  • Education Education

    Strengthening American education by returning authority to the states and...

  • Energy & Environment Energy & Environment

    Advancing freedom and prosperity by unleashing free enterprise, protecting...

  • Enterprise & Free Markets Enterprise & Free Markets

    Eliminating barriers to enterprise and innovation.

  • Entitlements Entitlements

    Replacing the culture of entitlement with one of mutual responsibility.

  • Family & Religion Family & Religion

    Cultivating an environment in which the permanent institutions of family...

  • Health Care Health Care

    Providing every American freedom of choice in health care.

  • Protect America Protect America

    Protecting America and Americans from freedom’s enemies.

Our Work
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ABOUT The HERITAGE FOUNDATION

The Heritage Foundation is the nation’s most broadly supported public policy research institute, with nearly 700,000 individual, foundation and corporate donors. Heritage, founded in February 1973, has a staff of 255 and an annual expense budget of $75.3 million.

Our 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. Read More

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