For more than 50 years, The Heritage Foundation has worked to apply America’s founding principles—ordered liberty, inalienable rights, and self-government—to the challenges of the modern world. Today, those challenges are greater than ever: Families are breaking down, the birthrate is collapsing, the national debt is metastasizing, and our children are shaped by technology and institutions hostile to the very idea of a free republic.
We cannot simply watch history unfold and shout “stop.” We must act with courage and clarity.
That is why we organize our work around four Cornerstones—the essential pillars of a thriving America. These are not abstract ideals; they are practical commitments to restore what makes this nation strong and ensure that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
The Cornerstones define what we stand for and guide every policy solution we advance. They help us ask the right questions: Does this policy strengthen families? Does it uphold the dignity of work? Does it secure America’s interests? Does it form virtuous, patriotic citizens?
Our commitment is simple: Align Heritage’s ideas, people, and resources behind these Cornerstones to ensure a future worthy of the American people—and the God who has blessed this nation so richly.
The family is the foundation of American life. We work to restore the natural family—virtuous, faithful, growing, and free—because strong families build strong communities and a flourishing nation. Protecting parental rights, revitalizing faith and civil society, and creating a pro-family culture are central to this vision.
Work is more than a means of survival; it is a source of purpose and prosperity. We champion an industrious economy that rewards service and innovation, respects private ownership, and strengthens family formation and stability. A healthy economy should foster earned flourishing and remove obstacles that stifle opportunity.
America must remain a sovereign nation of strong families, free from threats at home and abroad. We pursue policies that restore military strength, protect our homeland, and secure our vital national interests in an increasingly dangerous world. Security begins with prioritizing the American homeland and maintaining energy and technological dominance.
Citizenship is a sacred inheritance rooted in love of country, civic virtue, and faith in God. We seek to cultivate these values so that liberty and self-government endure for generations to come. Preserving our heritage means upholding the rule of law and forming a virtuous, patriotic citizenry.
