The recent Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate under Obamacare, requiring nearly all insurance plans to cover abortion-inducing drugs, contraception, and sterilization, has sparked heated debate across the country. Although proponents of Obamacare have attempted to frame the debate differently, one question remains fundamentally at issue: Can the federal government…
A 15-year-old girl spray-painted the words on pale yellow aluminum siding perched oddly on a slab of concrete: “For sale! Fixer upper.” Hours earlier, the siding had been part of a wall and the slab the front porch of her grandmother’s home in Harrisburg,…
From The Heritage Foundation, I'm Ernest Istook. …
After a financial crisis, a deep recession, and a stalled recovery, it should be no surprise that poverty in America is on the rise. This fall, the Census Bureau reported that a record 46 million Americans — 15% of the population — were living below the poverty line. This is…
From The Heritage Foundation, I’m Ernest Istook. …
Christmastime is a season of gratitude. Whether it’s because we reflect upon the birth of the Christ child or the blessings of the past year, the holiday often prompts a sense of appreciation and thankfulness as well as the tradition of gift-giving. And this year, the season…
When the news hit that tornadoes had ripped through Alabama, helpers sprang into action. They handed out water and medical supplies. They provided food, clothing and shelter to the many victims and cleaned up the mess that Mother Nature left behind. FEMA? No, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The New…
Introduction[1] By extolling freedom of religion in the schools, President Bill Clinton has raised the level of debate on the importance of religion to American life.[2] The time is ripe for a deeper dialogue on the contribution of religion to the welfare of the nation. America has always…
Over the past decade, considerable research has emerged that demonstrates the benefits of religious practice within society.[1] Religious practice promotes the well-being of individuals, families, and the community. Of particular note are the studies that indicate the benefits of Religion to the poor.[2] Regular attendance…
Robert E. Moffit: We are in the midst of a major national debate on stem cell research. There are a variety of ethical, moral,…
Today's political debates are often muddied by misconceptions of the role of government and its responsibility to American citizens. What are the limits of good government? How can the virtues necessary for freedom flourish? Sustaining ordered liberty depends on good answers to these questions. 1. What should government do? Government plays an indispensable role in a…
STUART M. BUTLER: What does the evidence show in terms of the connection between religious practice and other characteristics of our society: poverty, welfare, health? Also, what might be the implications of this research and analysis, if any, for public policy? These are the objectives of this Center, and we are…
(Archived document, may contain errors) 983 April 8, 1994 Revised and Updated March 17, 1995 COMBATTING FAMILY DISINTEGRAT ION CRIME, AND DEPENDENCE WELFARE REFORM AND BEYOND INTRODUCTION As the national debate on welfare reform heats up, policy makers should recognize one overriding fact: the War on Poverty has failed. It has been thirty…
STUART M. BUTLER: This is the second event undertaken by The Heritage Foundation's Center for Religion and Civil Society. The Center's functions are two. One is to discuss the appropriate role of religion in political and public life and to help policymakers work through the many associated issues. Second, the Center…
(Archived document, may contain errors) 140 May 4, 1981 THE MARIJUANA EPIDEMIC I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I hear talk of marijuana being.safe. Marijuana is a very powerful agent which is affecting the body in many ways. What the full range of these consequences is going…
(Archived document, may contain errors) d n :r well-known drug dealer, Jamie Wise, murdered police Carporal Charles W. Hill in March 1989 in an Alexandria, Virginia, project known as The Berg.The ;pj 2 tenants were fiightened, and long had been clamoring for the housing authorities to rid their project of known violent drug…
Abstract: Government anti-poverty programs share the flawed assumption that poverty in America is primarily a material problem that can be solved by increased welfare and entitlement spending. Poverty in America is often the result of a relational problem, such as fatherlessness or community breakdown,…
Abstract: Today, religious liberty issues are more complicated than simply freedom from government interference in religious worship or teaching. Threats to religious liberty and respect for conscience are emerging in the health care field, in the area of institutional religious freedom, and in the…
Abstract: President Barack Obama’s FY 2012 budget proposal would harm charitable organizations by raising the tax rate on upper-income individuals and families and reducing their income tax deduction for charitable donations. These two changes in the tax code would discourage charitable donations and leave…
Abstract: The death tax: What does it kill? Who does it affect? It affects hundreds of thousands of small-business owners across the country—as well as their employees and community residents who benefit from the senior and day care centers, playgrounds, charities, and learning centers…
Last April, The Heritage Foundation released a WebMemo titled "The Dirty Dozen: 12 New Policies That Undermine Civil Society."[1] Seven months later, many of these policies being advocated by Congress and the President have moved closer to becoming law. In addition, several new issues have emerged that deserve…
Individuals who support marriage as the union of husband and wife have strong reasons to be concerned about nondiscrimination proposals like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). ENDA would elevate sexual orientation to a protected status under workplace nondiscrimination laws. Proponents often argue that ENDA and similar laws at the state and local levels are focused exclusively…
Abstract: A significant body of evidence suggests that sexual orientation nondiscrimination laws like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) can function as important incremental steps toward same-sex marriage. This evidence, which shows how effective a step-by-step strategy can be for redefining marriage, provides substantial cause for individuals who support marriage as the union of husband and…
Many nonprofit organizations are under severe financial pressure. They need donations more than ever, and the hurting people they serve have a stake in the unrestrained flow of those donations. However, President Barack Obama's proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2010 moves in the opposite direction. It would raise taxes on those who can give the…
The Obama Administration is moving rapidly to overturn federal "conscience clause" regulations protecting health care providers who object to performing procedures that violate their religious beliefs or moral convictions. These regulations implement longstanding federal laws expressing the decided opinion of Congress and the American people that no individual--doctor, patient, or other health professional--should be…
The number of Americans dependent on the federal government has exploded over the past five years, reaching a record...…
In his recent speech in Kansas, President Obama accused Republicans of advocating “you’re on your own economics”—a...…
As marriage rates plummet and the percentage of intact families sharply declines, experiments that challenge the...…
Many a bachelor has taunted and teased a groom-to-be that “I do” will be his famous last words. But for all the jesting...…
A new Gallup poll released today reports that more than nine in 10 Americans believe in God. The number of believers has...…
In 1966, God was pronounced dead. More recently, it was determined that God is back. But now a team of researchers has...…
Despite the assertive statements of celebrity atheists, national book tours denouncing God and the perennial docket of...…
Today's murder of Pakistani Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti by religious extremists establishes a pattern of...…
In the midst of a tense bilateral dispute between the U.S. and Pakistan over the case of Raymond Davis—an American...…
Many leftist journalists, bloggers, and talking heads are shamelessly exploiting last weekend’s tragedy in Tucson,...…
Research Fellow