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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.

Jul 13, 2023
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Freedom Conservatism: A Statement of Principles

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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:

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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. 

  1. 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. 

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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


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