The Power of Ideas: The Heritage Foundation at 25 Years [Hardcover]

Lee Edwards (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Heritage Foundation was created to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense." Though the popularity of political conservatism has ebbed and flowed over the past 25 years, the influence of Heritage has remained constant since its inception in 1973. Their most notable and far-reaching achievement thus far is the "Mandate for Leadership" that was embraced by the Reagan administration as a legislative guideline; a document in which, as William E. Simon proudly states in the book's foreword, "some 60 percent of its recommendations were eventually adopted or implemented..." Evidence of their more recent influence was revealed in the Heritage-sponsored training session that was attended by most incoming Republican freshman following the 1994 congressional elections.

The policy recommendations supplied by Heritage's analysts are primarily aimed at Republican members of Congress, making the foundation as much a lobbying group as a think tank. Much of their role (as with many think tanks) is to summarize vast amounts of research and the finer points of pending legislation into manageable portions that can be of use to both politicians and like-minded pundits. On this front, the foundation has been prolific, boasting a list of contributing writers and lecturers that reads like a who's who list of conservative politicians and intellectuals from around the world. An authorized history, The Power of Ideas: The Heritage Foundation at 25 Years is a celebratory scrapbook of former presidents, building locations, contributors (of both ideas and money), and staff members past and present. Edwards, a historian and author of the Barry Goldwater biography, Goldwater: The Man Who Made a Revolution, borders on hagiography in his treatment of prominent Heritage members, but his inside access and keen eye make his book the definitive guide to this conservative bulwark.

Review

...shot through with shameless boosterism ... Still, Edwards ... does a thorough and workmanlike job of chronicling a body that has guided Republican thinking from Ronald Reagan to Newt Gingrich. --The New York Times Book Review, David Greenberg

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Jameson Books; 1st Edition. edition (December 5, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0915463776
• ISBN-13: 978-0915463770
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #437,648 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best guide to understanding The Heritage Foundation., August 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Power of Ideas: The Heritage Foundation at 25 Years (Hardcover)

Lee Edward's "The Power of Ideas: The Heritage Foundation at 25 Years" is the definitive book to read if one wishes to understand the rise of conservative ideas in America. The Heritage Foundation helped, by embodying the principles of Lincoln, Roosevelt (Theodore), Nixon, and Reagan. Their work in shaping United States domestic and foreign policy is impressive. Lee Edward's book will inspire people in making America the place where freedom reigns and the individual and not the government holds the power. I hope the people who read this book have similar thoughts and ideas on how to make America GREAT. I also wish this book will rank next to "Democracy in America" in time.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great history of a great organization...., November 1, 2000

By 

M. Vandover (Montgomery Village, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Power of Ideas: The Heritage Foundation at 25 Years (Hardcover)

I first heard of the Heritage Foundation while at college when I read a booklet by analyst Dan Mitchell about the flat tax. Intrigued, I started reading about Heritage. When I got my hands on this book, I immediately devoured it. It is an eminently readable history of one the greatest; if not the greatest; conservative think tanks in America.

Edwards starts at the beginning when Ed Feulner and others wanted to found a think tank to get ideas and papers out fast and timely. He follows through the troubled 70s into the triumphent 80s when Reagan became president. HE looks at the ideas Heritage put forth and how it did not hesitate to criticize Reagan if he went wrong. He follows through the Bush administration and into the 90s. This, like Feulner's book about conservative thought is a must read for all conservatives!

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Pen is Indeed Mightier Than the Sword: Ideas Do Matter, October 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Power of Ideas: The Heritage Foundation at 25 Years (Hardcover)

Lee Edwards has cranked out another gem on the history of American conservatism. I submit that one could say that he has taken up where the late Russell Kirk left off. In any case, Edwards is to be commended for bringing the history and role of The Heritage Foundation to light. And The Heritage Foundation is to be commended and praised for its significant contribution towards the propagation of conservative values and ensuring a conservative trend in public policy. I dearly hope that Edwards' concluding assessment is accurate, namely that Heritage will continue to play a substantial role in moving mainstream thought back towards the fundamental and enduring principles that are the foundation of American culture, economics, and society. And may God continue to bless Heritage with a steady flow of brilliant public policy experts willing to devote their energies towards advancing conservative values. And may God also bless Heritage with the type of brilliant leadership that it has received from Dr. Ed Feulner. And may the conservative movement continue to be blessed with historians willing to document the life and times of our heroic predecessors.