The Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute host a Republican presidential debate on CNN this Tuesday at 8 p.m. on the subjects of foreign policy and national security. At a time when domestic issues dominate the headlines, Tuesday’s debate offers an opportunity to refocus our attention on matters of constitutional significance. The Founding Fathers spelled out in the U.S. Constitution that the federal government must provide for the common defense. Yet defense spending has fallen below its 45-year historical average. It is projected to drop to 3.4 percent of gross … More

In less than five days, GOP candidates will meet in Washington, D.C., to discuss national security and foreign policy. This first-ever presidential debate sponsored by The Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute will be the occasion for candidates to explain their vision for American foreign policy. Some presidential candidates’ views are rather well-known; others’ views are not. In fact, the question has been raised, does the President need to know anything about the subject. Who, under the Constitution, makes foreign policy? The Constitution vests the power to make foreign policy … More

On Tuesday November 22, The Heritage Foundation will co-host a GOP primary debate on foreign policy and national security along with the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and CNN. There are several ways you can interact with Heritage on the night of the debate. In preparation for the debate, we will be having our “Lunch with Heritage” chat on Friday, November 18 from 12-1 ET. We will be joined by Heritage’s National Security expert James Carafano. He will be taking your questions about what defense and homeland security threats we should take … More

In its latest strategic move, billed smART Power, the State Department is sending abroad on Americans’ behalf not more Foreign Service officers but a cadre of elite artists. Their mission: to use visual arts as a medium for winning the hearts and minds of foreign populations all over the globe. The impetus for this initiative comes right from the top, for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has crafted the new approach to U.S. foreign policy around what she dubs “smart power.” Cultural diplomacy is, of course, a good thing. So, … More

These days, everybody loves Reagan. It’s not just the eight GOP candidates who are trying to out-Reagan each other on the campaign trail. Liberals, too—including President Obama—have developed a fondness for the Gipper (or at least their reconstituted version of Reagan). Most attempts to claim President Ronald Reagan’s mantle have focused on domestic policy. But Reagan did not only overcome malaise at home and launch the longest uninterrupted peacetime economic expansion in the 20th century. He also reinvigorated American foreign policy, strengthened the military, and won the Cold War. With … More

For the first time in more than 50 years, Washington, D.C., will host a presidential debate when Republican candidates gather on Nov. 22 at DAR Constitution Hall. The debate, presented by The Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute on CNN, will be moderated by Wolf Blitzer and focus on foreign policy and national security. Not since John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon squared off in a presidential debate on Oct. 7, 1960, has Washington, D.C., played host to presidential contenders for a nationally broadcast debate. This will be the … More

The eight Republican presidential candidates have confirmed they will attend the Nov. 22 debate hosted by The Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute on CNN. The debate will focus exclusively on foreign policy and national security. The debate will take place in Washington, D.C., at a location to be announced shortly. It will air nationally on CNN and CNN en Español and worldwide on CNN International, CNN Radio and CNN.com. “Heritage is delighted to have this opportunity to increase public understanding of the candidates’ positions on critical foreign policy and … More

Whatever became of President Barack Obama’s vaunted foreign policy czars, who were to transform America’s international relations through soft power diplomacy? The answer is nothing good. One by one the czars have fallen by the wayside, leaving a trail of bureaucratic irritation and diplomatic failure behind them. The Administration now at least tacitly acknowledges that the whole operation was a mistake. Last week’s resignation of Stephen Bosworth as special representative for North Korea marks a milestone in the czars’ decline and fall. In the words of Foreign Policy magazine’s blog, … More

The Heritage Foundation will co-host a Republican presidential debate on foreign policy and national security with the American Enterprise Institute and CNN, officials of the two Washington-based think tanks and the worldwide cable news organization announced late tonight. The Republican candidates’ debate, scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m. at a Washington location to be announced shortly, will air nationally on CNN and CNN en Español and worldwide on CNN International, CNN Radio and CNN.com. “Heritage is delighted to have this opportunity to increase public understanding of the candidates’ … More

President Obama is sacrificing missile defense for a “reset” with the Russian Federation, writes Rebeccah Heinrichs in her most recent piece. The Obama Administration has scrapped the third site in Poland and the Czech Republic, the Bush’s Administration’s ballistic missile defense plan for the protection of the U.S. and European territory. The Russians, falsely claiming that the system in Europe would upset the strategic balance, welcomed the step and worked further to restrain the U.S. missile defense options in the context of the New Strategic Arms Control Treaty. Negotiations on … More