Freedom Conservatism: A Statement of Principles
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Freedom Conservatism: A Statement of Principles
To ensure that America's best days are ahead, we must apply the timeless principles of liberty to the challenges of the 21st century.
On September 11, 1960, a group of young conservatives gathered in the home of William F. Buckley, Jr., in Sharon, Connecticut. For decades, the timeless ideals embodied in the document they produced animated the American conservative movement.
Today’s public policy challenges are different than the ones faced by the Sharon Statement signatories in 1960. Authoritarianism is on the rise both at home and abroad. More and more people on the left and right reject the distinctive creed that made America great: that individual liberty is essential to the moral and physical strength of the nation.
In order to ensure that America’s best days are ahead, we affirm the following principles:
Liberty. Among Americans’ most fundamental rights is the right to be free from the restrictions of arbitrary force: a right that, in turn, derives from the inseparability of free will from what it means to be human. Liberty is indivisible, and political freedom cannot long exist without economic freedom.
The pursuit of happiness. Most individuals are happiest in loving families, and within stable and prosperous communities in which parents are free to engage in meaningful work, and to raise and educate their children according to their values.
The foundation of prosperity. The free enterprise system is the foundation of prosperity. Americans can only prosper in an economy in which they can afford the basics of everyday life: food, shelter, health care, and energy. A corrosive combination of government intervention and private cronyism is making these basics unaffordable to many Americans. We commit to reducing the cost of living through competitive markets, greater individual choice, and free trade with free people, while upholding the rule of law, freedom of contract, and freedom of association.
Full faith and credit. The skyrocketing federal debt—which now exceeds the annual economic output of the United States—is an existential threat to the future prosperity, liberty, and happiness of Americans. We commit to building a constructive reform agenda that can restore America’s fiscal sustainability, ensuring that future generations inherit a more prosperous and secure nation than the one we now inhabit.
A nation of laws, not men. Equality under the law is a foundational principle of American liberty. Unfortunately, today this principle is under attack from those who believe that the rule of law does not apply to them. One manifestation of this problem is the explosion of unaccountable and unelected regulators who routinely exceed their statutory authority and abridge Americans’ constitutional rights. The President should only nominate policymakers and judges who are committed to upholding these rights.
Americans by choice. Immigration is a principal driver of American prosperity and achievement. America is exceptional because anyone—from any corner of the earth—can seek to live in America and become an American. Nearly all American citizens descend from someone who came here from somewhere else, and we must treat all citizens equally under the law. To this end, the United States, as a sovereign nation, has the right to secure its borders and design a rational immigration policy—built on the rule of law—that advances the interests and values of American citizens.
Out of many, one. The best way to unify a large and diverse nation like the United States is to transfer as many public policy choices as possible to families and communities. Much of the discord in America today comes from the fact that too many decisions are made for us by centralized authorities. The Constitution of the United States is the best arrangement yet devised for granting government the just authority to fulfill its proper role, while restraining it from the concentration and abuse of power.
America’s promissory note. Martin Luther King, Jr. described the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence as containing “magnificent words…a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.” Prior to 1964, however, slavery and segregation were enforced by state governments and, in many cases, by the federal government. Many who descend from victims of this system now face economic and personal hurdles that are the direct result of this legacy. We commit to expanding opportunity for those who face challenges due to past government restrictions on individual and economic freedom. We adamantly oppose racial discrimination in all its forms, either against or for any person or group of people.
The shining city on a hill. American foreign policy must be judged by one criterion above all: its service to the just interests of the United States. Americans are safest and freest in a peaceful world, led by the United States, in which other nations uphold individual liberty and the sovereignty of their neighbors.
Freedom of conscience. Essential to a free society is the freedom to say and think what one believes to be true. Under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution, federal and state governments have a legal obligation to uphold and protect these freedoms. Private institutions have a moral obligation to do the same.
Note: Signatories to this statement speak only for themselves as individuals, and not for any institutions with which they are affiliated. Institutional affiliations listed below are for informational purposes only.
For more background on Freedom Conservatism, visit the About page.
If you are interested in signing onto the statement, please fill out this form.
If you would like to follow the signatories on Twitter as a group, follow this List.
Kevin Abplanalp
Coalition for Liberty / Americans for Comprehensive Education Reform
Ian Adams • @IAtheTeapot
International Center for Law and Economics
Sara Albrecht • @SaraWynne
Liberty Justice Center
Tim Andrews • @Tim_Andrews
Americans for Tax Reform
Saul Anuzis • @SAnuzis
60Plus
Richard K. Armey • @DickArmey
Former U.S. House Majority Leader
Benji Backer • @BenjiBacker
American Conservation Coalition
David L. Bahnsen • @DavidBahnsen
National Review Institute / Acton Institute
Jeffrey Bailey • @JeffreyBaileyMA
Grace Baptist Christian Academy
Ashley Baker • @AndAshleySays
Committee for Justice
Garrett Ballengee • @gballeng
Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy
André Béliveau • @TheRealBeliveau
National Taxpayers Union Foundation / John Locke Foundation
Nathan Benefield • @NathanBenefield
Commonwealth Foundation
Ralph Benko • @TheWebster
The Capitalist League
Brian Blase • @Brian_Blase
Paragon Health Institute
Drew Bond • @BondDrewBond
Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions
Donald Boudreaux
Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Adam Brandon • @Adam_Brandon
FreedomWorks
Patrick Brenner • @PMBrenner91
Southwest Public Policy Institute
Buzz Brockway • @BuzzBrockway
Georgia Center for Opportunity
Matthew Brouillette • @MattBrouillette
Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs
Ron Brown • @RonBrown34
Heidrick & Struggles
Donald Bryson • @DonaldBryson
John Locke Foundation
Jeb Bush • @JebBush
Foundation for Excellence in Education / Former Governor of Florida
Jack Butler • @JackButler4815
National Review
John Byrnes • @JohnByrnes13
Concerned Veterans for America
Jon Caldara • @JonCaldara
Independence Institute
Chris Cargill • @MtnStatesPolicy
Mountain States Policy Center
Douglas Carswell • @DouglasCarswell
Mississippi Center for Public Policy
Cindy Cerquitella
America’s Future
Alejandro Chafuen • @Chafuen
Chase Foundation of Virginia
Mona Charen • @MonaCharen
The Bulwark
Lanhee Chen • @LanheeChen
Hoover Institution at Stanford University
Neil Chilson • @Neil_Chilson
Center for Growth and Opportunity
Akash Chougule • @AkashJC
Americans for Prosperity
Andrew Cline • @DrewHampshire
Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy
John Colman
Ave Maria University
Carrie Conko • @CConko
State Policy Network
Charles C.W. Cooke • @CharlesCWCooke
National Review
James R. Copland • @JamesRCopland
Manhattan Institute
Kurt Couchman • @KurtCouchman
Americans for Prosperity
Johnny B. Davis
Helms School of Government, Liberty University
Soren Dayton • @SorenDayton
Niskanen Center
Ben DeGrow • @BenDeGrow
Foundation for Excellence in Education
Micah Derry • @MicahDerry
The Adams Project
Donald Devine • @DonaldDevineCo1
The Fund for American Studies
Daniel Di Martino • @DanielDiMartino
Manhattan Institute / Dissident Project
Trey Dimsdale • @TreyDimsdale
Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy
Claire Kittle Dixon • @TalentMarket
Talent Market
Tiana Lowe Doescher • @TianaTheFirst
Washington Examiner
John Dodd
North Carolina Center-Right Coalition
Trent England • @TrentEngland
Save Our States
Rick Esenberg • @RickEsenberg
Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty
Williamson Evers
Independent Institute
Michael Franc
The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity
Arthur Frank • @ArthurF78586832
Guggenheim Partners
James Franko
Kansas Policy Institute
Caleb Fuller • @CalebSFuller
Grove City College
Brian Garst • @BrianGarst
Center for Freedom & Prosperity
Peter Gattuso • @PhilliesGattuso
Connecticut College
Rick Geddes
Cornell University
Vance Ginn • @VanceGinn
Pelican Center for Public Policy
Tom Giovanetti • @TGiovanetti
Institute for Policy Innovation
Casey Given • @CaseyJGiven
Young Voices
James K. Glassman • @JamesKGlassman1
Former U.S. Under Secretary of State
Patrick Gleason • @PatrickMGleason
Americans for Tax Reform / Beacon Center of Tennessee
Judge Glock • @JudgeGlock
Manhattan Institute
Jonah Goldberg • @JonahDispatch
The Dispatch / American Enterprise Institute
Francisco Gonzalez • @FGonzalez1978
Economic Club of Miami
Andrew D. Graham
Alliance Defending Freedom
Dan Greenberg
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Russ Greene • @GreenPlusAnE
Stand Together Trust
Samuel Gregg • @DrSamuelGregg
American Institute for Economic Research
Alyssa Farah Griffin • @AlyssaFarah
The View / CNN
Kenneth Grubbs
Former Director, National Journalism Center / Former Editorial Director, Orange County Register
James Gwartney
Florida State University
David Harsanyi • @DavidHarsanyi
The Federalist / National Review
John Hart • @JohnHart333
Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions
Jon Hartley • @Jon_Hartley_
The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity / Stanford University
Kevin Hassett
Hoover Institution at Stanford University
Steven F. Hayward • @StevenFHayward
University of California, Berkeley
Patrick Hedger • @Pat_Hedger
Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Christie Herrera
Philanthropy Roundtable
Todd Hester
Yorktown Foundation for Public Policy
Randy Hicks
Georgia Center for Opportunity
Quin Hillyer • @QuinHillyer
The Washington Examiner
Charles Hilu • @CharlesHilu73
Intercollegiate Studies Institute / Washington Free Beacon
G. William Hoagland • @BillHoagland
Bipartisan Policy Center
Stacy Hock • @SAWHock
Texas Public Policy Foundation / UATX
Larry Hogan • @GovLarryHogan
An America United / Former Governor of Maryland
Kim Holmes • @KimSmithHolmes
Former Assistant Secretary of State
John Hood • @JohnHoodNC
John William Pope Foundation
Alexandra Hudson • @LexiOHudson
Civic Renaissance
Scott Immergut • @ScottImmergut
Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson & Good Fellows
Paul Johnson • @OptAmerican
The Optimistic American • Former Mayor of Phoenix
Gordon Jones
Mount Liberty College
Christian Josi
Former Executive Director, American Conservative Union
Pete Kaliner • @PeteKaliner
The Pete Kaliner Show
Zach Kessel • @Zach_Kessel
National Review
Daniel Klein
George Mason University
Andrew Langer
Institute for Liberty
Kent Lassman • @KentatCEI
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Russ Latino • @RussLatino
Magnolia Tribune Institute
Bill Laub
Nevada Policy Research Institute
Frank Lavin • @HelloFrankLavin
Hoover Institution at Stanford University
Joseph G. Lehman
Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Eli Lehrer • @EliLehrerDC
R Street Institute
Matt Lewis • @MattKLewis
The Daily Beast
Carol Platt Liebau • @CPLiebau
Yankee Institute for Public Policy
Dan Lips • @DanLips
The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity / Foundation for American Innovation
Mario H. Lopez • @MarioHLopez
Hispanic Leadership Fund
Richard Lorenc • @RLorenc
Iron Light
Rachel Lu • @RCLu
Liberty Fund
Carrie Lukas • @CarrieLukas
Independent Women’s Forum
James Manley
College of Central Florida
Bethany Marcum
Alaska Policy Forum
Laura Maristany • @LM210
Prospera Insights / The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity
Jim Martin
60Plus
Mithran Mathew • @Mathew_Mithran
Apple
Casey Mattox • @CaseyMattox_
Americans for Prosperity
Derrick Max • @DerrickAMax
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy
Heath Mayo • @HeathMayo
Principles First
Wilfred McClay
Hillsdale College
Brooke Medina • @Brooke_Medina_
John Locke Foundation
Annette Meeks • @MeeksGOP
Freedom Foundation of Minnesota
Adam Meyerson
Stand Together
Mark Miller
Pacific Legal Foundation
Adam Millsap • @AA_Millsap
Stand Together Trust
Daniel J. Mitchell • @DanielJMitchell
Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Lorenzo Montanari • @LorenzMontanari
Tholos Foundation / Property Rights Alliance
Russell Moore • @DrMoore
Christianity Today
Buckley Morlot
Leaders on the Rise
Michael Munger • @Mungowitz
Duke University
Jon Murphy • @JMurphy8289
Nicholls State University
Iain Murray • @ISMurray
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Todd Myers • @WAPolicyGreen
Washington Policy Center
Henry Nau
Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University
Grover Norquist • @GroverNorquist
Americans for Tax Reform
Brent Orrell • @OrrellAEI
American Enterprise Institute
Catherine R. Pakaluk • @CRPakaluk
Catholic University
Mike Palicz • @Mike_Palicz
Americans for Tax Reform
James Patterson • @McGillPatterson
Ave Maria University
Dan Peters
Philanthropy Partners
John Phelan • @Minnesotanomics
Center of the American Experiment
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer • @BayerPicciotti
The Conscience Project
Juliana Geran Pilon
The Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization
Danielle Pletka • @DPletka
American Enterprise Institute
Ramesh Ponnuru • @RameshPonnuru
National Review / American Enterprise Institute
Art Pope
John William Pope Foundation
Phillip Prange • @PhilPrange
Bradley Impact Fund
John Puri • @JohnPuri2026
The Stanford Review
Jason Pye • @Pye
Due Process Institute
Roger Ream • @RogerRReam
The Fund for American Studies
Vikrant Reddy • @VPReddy
Stand Together
Richard M. Reinsch II • @Reinsch84
American Institute for Economic Research / Law & Liberty
Tim Rice • @TimERice1
Washington Free Beacon
Jay Richards • @DrJayRichards
Discovery Institute
McKenzie Richards • @McK_Richards
Pacific Research Institute
Victor Riches
Goldwater Institute
Kevin Riffe • @Kevin_Riffe
West Virginia Center-Right Coalition
Jenna A. Robinson • @JARobinson1
James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal
Dalibor Roháč • @DaliborRohac
American Enterprise Institute
Noah Rothman • @NoahCRothman
National Review
Benjamin Rothove • @BenjaminRothove
Keep Nine Coalition
Karl Rove • @KarlRove
The Wall Street Journal
Avik Roy • @Avik
The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity / Forbes
Lucca Ruggieri • @Lucca_Ruggieri
Keep Nine Coalition
Jack Salmon • @_JackSalmon_
Philanthropy Roundtable
Alexander Salter
Rawls College of Business and Free Market Institute, Texas Tech University
Jeff Sandefer
ED Foundation
Christina Sandefur • @CMSandefur
Goldwater Institute
Gabriel Scheinmann • @GabeScheinmann
Alexander Hamilton Society
Christian Schneider • @Schneider_CM
National Review
Ilya Shapiro • @IShapiro
Manhattan Institute
Colin Sharkey • @ColinAAE
Association of American Educators
Steven Sheffrin • @SSheffrin
Tulane University
Timothy R. Snowball • @LibertyLaw1776
Freedom Foundation
Andrew Spiropoulos
Oklahoma City University School of Law
Justin Stapley • @JustinWStapley
Freemen Foundation
Michael Steele • @MichaelSteele
U.S. Vote Foundation
Jim Stergios • @JimStergios
Pioneer Institute
Aaron Stover • @ADStover
Heartland Institute
Will Swaim • @WillSwaim
California Policy Center
Tyler Syck • @TylerSyck
University of Pikeville / The Vital Center
Charlie Sykes • @SykesCharlie
The Bulwark
Ed Tarnowski • @EdTarnowski
EdChoice
Andrew J. Taylor • @AJTFOSP
Free & Open Societies Project, North Carolina State University
Fernando Tesón • @FTeson
Florida State University College of Law
Wayne Thorburn
Former Executive Director, Young Americans for Freedom
John Toedtman
Caesar Rodney Institute
John Tillman • @JohnMTillman
American Culture Project
Mark Tooley • @MarkDTooley
Institute on Religion & Democracy
John Tsarpalas • @JTsarpalas
Nevada Policy Research Institute
Matthew Tyrmand • @MatthewTyrmand
Journalist
Jim Vokal • @Jim_Vokal
Platte Institute
Joe Walsh • @WalshFreedom
White Flag with Joe Walsh
Jim Waters • @JimWatersBIPPS
Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions
Devon Westhill • @DevonWesthill
Center for Equal Opportunity
Joel C. White • @JWhite_Health
Council for Affordable Health Coverage
George F. Will • @GeorgeWill
The Washington Post
Kevin Williamson
The Dispatch
Paul Winfree • @PaulWinfree
Economic Policy Innovation Center
Scott Winship • @SWinshi
American Enterprise Institute
Dan Winslow
New England Legal Foundation
Aaron Withe • @AaronWithe
Freedom Foundation
Ryan Wolfe • @RyanWolfeTFAS
The Fund for American Studies
Tony Woodlief • @TonyWoodlief
State Policy Network
Kenny Xu • @KennyMXu
Color Us United