Frederico Bartels was a senior policy analyst for defense budgeting in Heritage’s Center for National Defense. In this position, he conducted research, wrote and engaged audiences on the adequacy, composition, and character of the U.S. defense budget and associated policies and supports the center’s mission to promote a strong U.S national defense.

Before joining Heritage in 2017, Bartels worked as a senior policy analyst at Americans for Prosperity. Previously, he served as a policy analyst at Concerned Veterans for America. In both positions, he was responsible for informing the organization’s leadership on the defense budget and veterans’ affairs. His work has been featured on The Hill, War on the Rocks, and Real Clear Defense, among others.

Bartels holds a Master of Arts degree in international affairs with a concentration in U.S. foreign policy from George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, in Brazil.

Fred was a member of the 2013-14 Marshall Fellows Program, the 2014-15 Foreign Policy Initiative Future Leaders Program, the 2013-14 Koch Associates Program, and the Spring 2012 Young Leaders Program at the Heritage Foundation.

Fred was born and raised in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He and his wife Amanda live in Washington, D.C.